Unwanted
by mcdb
Summary: After her mother's sudden disappearance, Clary finds herself living with the Lightwood family and their 6 adopted children. As Clary tries to adjust to her new home and family, she receives less than friendly vibes from the Jace, one of the Lightwood's adopted sons. Not knowing what she's done wrong, Clary makes it her mission to find out. All mundane.
1. Chapter 1

Clary POV

I glanced out the cab window, looking up at the house in front of me. _My new home, _I grimace. Turning towards the cab driver, I hand him a few bills and reach for the door handle. Sighing, I climb out of the car, heading towards the trunk to fetch my suitcase. I close the trunk, watching the cab drive away until it's out of my sight.

I have a sudden craving to be in my mother's arms again, with her whispering her reassuring words that always had the ability to calm my nerves. _She's gone. She abandoned you and she isn't coming back, _I remind myself. I turn back towards the house, taking it in. It looked more like a mansion with the three stories I could make out and the huge lawn I was currently standing on. _Way bigger than our house back home, _I think.

With great effort, I drag my suitcase behind me as I climb the steps. Reaching the top, I press the doorbell, waiting patiently for someone to let me in. I can hear quiet voices nearing the door and straighten, curious as to who would open the door. I've only spoken to Maryse a handful of times, discussing my stay and such. However, she'd told me that she and her husband, Robert wouldn't be present for my arrival. I didn't remember much from our discussion, except that Maryse had taken in other children in the past. I vaguely remember her telling me that she'd taken in about six others, but I couldn't be certain.

The door opens, revealing a tall, dark-haired girl. She could've been a model with her looks. _She's beautiful, _I think jealously. She gives me a bright smile, showing off her perfect white teeth. "You must be Clary! It's so nice to finally meet you! I'm Isabelle by the way." I begin to raise my hand as she steps forward, expecting a handshake, only to be pulled into a bone crushing hug.

I give a small squeeze, and then proceed to wiggle my way out of the embrace as politely as I can. "Hey," I mutter, trying to give her a smile, though it probably looked more like a grimace.

She returns the smile, understanding flashing through her eyes briefly. "Come in," she ushers, opening the door wider to allow me to enter the house, my suitcase in tow. I gasp quietly, taking in the interior of the house. As I walk in, I see a spiraling grand staircase, high ceiling and beautiful chandelier before me. It looked amazing and it was only the front room. The house looked so neat and fragile that I was scared to move from my position by the door. I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn back towards Isabelle, "I'll show you to your room. You can leave your suitcase down here - I'll get one of the guys to bring it up for you later."

I nod, following her as she ascends the staircase. As we arrive at the top, Isabelle takes a left, walking along a short hallway and stopping at the second door on the left. She turns toward me, giving me a small smile, then opens the door, showing me my new room. I look around, taking it all in. It was beautiful, way better than my old room and three times the size too! The first thing I see is the wall across from the entrance to my room. I couldn't really call it a wall though, considering it only consisted of a large window with dark curtains on the side. Looking out the window, I could see that it had a beautiful view of the Lightwood's backyard, which looked over undisturbed land that looked more like a small forest. Turning away from the window, I continue to look over the room, spotting a king sized bed to my right, a nightstand located on each side. Across the room, I see two doors and move towards the one to the left to investigate. Opening the door and looking inside, I see that it's an en suite. _Holy shit! I get my own bathroom? _I walk out and move to the door beside it and quickly peek in, seeing a huge walk-in closet.

I turn to face Isabelle again, seeing her leaning against the wall with a small smile on her face. "Is it okay?" she asks. "We didn't really know what you liked, so we decided that we'd leave it up to you. Mom said just to let her know when you want to shop around for stuff, so we can go out and get whatever you want."

"It's more than I expected. Thanks," I give her the first real smile I've had in the past week. "I'll let you know if I need anything, but it's unlikely. I'll probably just get a job or something, and give my room a little makeover." I give a small laugh, looking around my room again.

"It's no problem really," she waves it off. "Mom and Dad have a bunch of money. They're not going to mind spending a bit to make your room a little livelier," Isabelle laughs. She turns towards the clock placed on my nightstand, checking the time. "Dinner should be in about an hour. Did you want to stay here and settle in? Or did you want me to show you around?"

"I think I'll stay in here - wash up, then lay down for a bit. It's been a long day."

"Okay, I'll get Jordan to bring up your suitcase right away. Let me know if you need anything - I'm just next door."

"I will. Thanks again," I send her a grateful smile. She sends me a smile in return, closing the door behind her as she left. I walk towards my bed and decide to lie down, the exhaustion from the events of the past week catching up to me. A few minutes later, I think I hear my door open, but darkness has already taken over my vision as I fall asleep.

* * *

_Knock, knock! Knock, knock! _"Clary? You coming down for dinner?" I groggily rise into a sitting position, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. My eyes scan my surroundings, the day's events coming back to me. I spot my suitcase near my closet. _Jordan must've been the one who opened my door as I was about to sleep, to bring in my suitcase. _Leaving the comfort of my bed, I walk towards the door, coming face to face with Isabelle. "Hey," she greets me quietly.

I give a nod, still rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "Hey," I mumble. "Let's go."

"Follow me," Isabelle directs, retracing her steps from earlier when she'd shown me to my room. Isabelle takes a left once we arrive at the bottom of the staircase, making her way to the dining room, I assume. We enter the dining room seconds later. I glance around the room, which consisted of a huge dining table with numerous chairs surrounding it. Isabelle makes her way towards a seat, and I follow, taking the seat next to her.

Suddenly, I hear multiple footsteps nearing the dining room. Looking up, my gaze lands on a group of boys - eight, from what I can see - entering the room. They begin to settle in the seats around the table. Once they'd all sat down, my eyes began to wander around the table, taking in their faces. As my gaze turns to rest upon the person sitting across from me, my eyes meet with beautiful golden eyes, that just so happen to be glaring right at me.

* * *

**A/N:**

**This is my first ever FanFic! I've been reading Fanfic's for a while, but I haven't thought of writing one myself until recently.**

**My sister gave me some ideas for stories and I kinda liked this one, so I decided to go with it. I'm not quite sure where it's going, so if you'd like to share some of your ideas, that'd be great!**

**Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!**

**-MC**


	2. Chapter 2

Clary POV

_As my gaze turns to rest upon the person sitting across from me, my eyes meet with beautiful golden eyes, that just so happen to be glaring right at me._

I'm confused by the obvious hatred this stranger has for me. _What did I do? _I turn towards Isabelle, nudging her arm to get her attention. She turns towards me, curious. "Why is he glaring at me?" I ask her quietly, not wanting him to overhear, though the room was quite loud with the respective conversations around the table.

She looks up, trying to figure out who I was talking about. "Who? Jace?" she asks, nodding across the table in _his _direction.

_So his name is Jace, _I think, giving a small nod to Isabelle.

"Oh, don't mind him. He's always moody. Don't take it personally."

I nod, shooting her a skeptical look. I've never come across someone who has blatantly shown their dislike towards me, let alone someone I've never met before. I wouldn't say I was popular back home, but I did have a pretty big group of friends and I was liked by my classmates as far as I knew.

I sigh suddenly, realizing I hadn't called Maia yet to let her know that I'd gotten here safely. Maia is my best friend. She's been through everything with me from my father's death, to my mother's disappearance. It was hard to leave her. Excusing myself from the table, I take my phone out of my pocket as I leave the room. Stepping into the hall, I open my phone and scroll through my contacts. Reaching Maia's name, I press call, bringing the phone up to my ear.

"Clary? Oh my God. I thought something terrible happened to you! Why didn't you call me earlier? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" I hear Maia scream through the phone.

"Hello to you too, Maia," I mumble sarcastically. "I'm fine, so calm down."

"Oh hush, Clarissa! You really had me worried."

I roll my eyes at her use of my full name. "I'm sorry, Mai. I totally forgot to call. I fell asleep as soon as I got here. The ride here was the longest trip of my life," I explain, apologetically.

"Ugh. You know I can't stay mad at you, Clary. Anyways, how are you? How's the house? Is it nice? Are the people nice? Are there any cute boys? When are you coming to visit? When can I come and vis-"

"Calm down, Maia," I cut her off. "Now start again, but slower. And ask the questions one at a time," I smile, laughing. _I really miss her._

"Sorry, Clare," Maia apologizes sheepishly. "How are you? They're treating you okay there, right?"

"Yes, mom," I roll my eyes.

"Psh. I'm too young to be anyone's mother, Clare. Anyways, on to the serious stuff! Are there any cute boys there?" Maia squeals. I pull my phone away from my ear to avoid permanently damaging my ear drums.

Once Maia settled down, I brought the phone back to my ear. "Eh. I just met them all a few minutes ago. Other than Isabelle, I don't know any of their names yet. We're waiting to have dinner right now."

"Oh, well, I'll let you get to that then," Maia responds. "But you better make sure you call me later! You've got to tell me about _everything._ Plus, we've got to discuss when I can come over to visit you! A girl can only be separated from her best friend for so long."

I roll my eyes. "Mai, I just left today. I saw you a few hours ago!"

"Well, whatever. Is it a crime to miss my best friend?"

"Of course not. I miss you too. But I've really got to go," I say, glancing into the dining room to see that the food was already placed on the table and everyone was beginning to eat. "I'll talk to you in a couple of hours or so, okay? Love you."

"Love you too, Clare. Later."

I close my phone, slipping it back into my pocket, and make my way back to my seat. Isabelle turns towards me as I near my seat. I can see the curiosity in her eyes, but she doesn't question me. Instead, she gives me a small smile and turns back to her food.

For awhile, the only noise heard around the table is the scraping of utensils against plates. Finally, Isabelle decides to speak up. She clears her throat, grabbing everyone's attention. "Guys, this is Clary. Clary, these are my biological brothers, Max and Alec, and my adopted brothers, Jordan, Simon, Sebastian, Jonathon, Magnus and Jace," Isabelle introduces, pointing to each person as she said their name.

"Hey," I give a small smile. "So you've all been adopted by the Lightwoods?" I question the latter group.

"Well technically, Jordan, Simon, Magnus, Seb, and Jon aren't actually my adopted brothers, but we all act as if we're siblings, so what does it matter?" Isabelle explains for them. I give a nod.

"So Clary, where are you from?" Alec questions. He looks exactly like Isabelle, though he's a boy obviously. He has the same jet black hair and bright blue eyes, though he doesn't look as well-kept as Isabelle, going for the more 'I don't care' look. _He's pretty cute, _I think to myself.

"I'm from Albany. Born and raised," I answer. "What about you guys? Did you guys always live out here?"

"No actually. We used to live in the city. We only moved out here a few years ago. Mom and Dad got sick of the city and decided to move away from civilization We're not too far though. Just an hour drive," Alec reassured me. I give a small nod and we continued our conversation for the rest of dinner.

* * *

Sometime during dinner, Jace had disappeared. I hadn't noticed until everyone had finished and began to pull away from the table, leaving to do who knows what. I shake my head, trying to rid myself of my unwelcome curiosity towards Jace's whereabouts.

Exiting the dining room, I decide to head back to my room. Climbing the stairs, I look out the window, seeing the sunset. Continuing towards my room, I make my way to my suitcase, opening up the front compartment. I take out my sketch pad and pencil, and begin to make my way towards the window that occupied one of the four walls of my room. Settling on the ground, I place my sketch pad on my lap and look out the window, taking in the scenery. I begin sketching the view, drawing the sunset and the woods.

As I look up from my sketch, I catch something blonde enter the woods. _What is that boy doing now?_

I try to shake off my curiosity and turn back to my drawing to continue sketching, but my mind has lost its focus. Sighing, I let my curiosity get the better of me. I put down my sketch pad and pencil, exiting my room and making my way down the stairs and into the backyard. _Here I go, _I think as I begin to make my way into the woods.

* * *

**A/N:**

**So second chapter! Hope yall are liking it so far. I'm pretty much just making up everything as I go, so please feel free to suggest anything.**

**It's a pretty good feeling to get emails saying that people have reviewed, favourited and/or followed this story, so thanks for the love!**

**I'm not quite sure how my updating schedule will be. I've been on semester break, but school's starting up again on Tuesday. I'm taking an advanced class this semester too, so I don't know how that will be. I'm gonna try to make time though! I'm currently trying to write the first few chapters.. They're kind of fillers, I guess. I'm trying to ease into the story right now, so yeah. Bare with me, please! The chapters are kind of short too, so I'm gonna try to make them longer. And I'm gonna try to spice it up a little. I feel it's kind of slow, so we'll see what I'll be able to come up with.**

**Btw, I have a bit of OCD when it comes to grammar, so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know if you've found any mistakes so I can fix them up right away. I know how crazy I get when I read stories with horrible grammar, so I wouldn't want to wish that upon any of you.**

**I'm thinking of finding a BETA too. Depends on how this story does, I guess. If anyone's interested, let me know! Thanks a bunch.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**-MC**


	3. Chapter 3

Clary POV

Here I go, _I think as I begin to make my way into the woods._

I creep into the woods slowly, being careful to step over tree roots and fallen branches. Its dark, the sun having set just after I'd stepped into the forest. I can hear the slight rustle of a bush to my right, but I don't check to see what it is, not wanting to scare myself any more than I already am. "Maybe this wasn't the smartest idea," I mumble to myself, shivering from the creeps of just being in the woods.

About five minutes into my walk, I still see no sign of Jace. I turn around with the intent to go back, when I hear quiet voices to my left. I creep behind a bush to avoid being seen. I begin to lean around the bush slowly to not draw attention to myself. The voices are louder now, but I still can't make out what they're saying.

I decide to move forward to hide behind a closer bush. "...stop. We can't do this - I can't do this. Not anymore," I hear a deep voice say. _A guy_. I'm now close enough to distinguish the voices. The voice that just spoke sounds familiar, but I can't quite place it. I'm able to hide behind a bush that's close enough for me to see them, but not close enough for them to see me. It's too dark to make out faces, but I can see two silhouettes a few feet in front of me.

"Why not?" A higher voice responds. _A girl._

I feel like I'm intruding on a lover's spat, but I just can't seem to get myself to leave. I peak around again, trying to make out their faces. Squinting, I recognize the mop of blonde hair as the moonlight shines over them quickly. _Jace. What is he doing here? And who is he talking to? _I think to myself, as I continue to creep forward. All of a sudden, I hear the snap of a twig as I step on it, and let out a surprised gasp.

Jace whirls around at the sound, just as the other person runs off quickly. "What do you think you're doing here?" He asks angrily, making his way towards me.

"Um, I-I..," I stutter. "Going for a walk?" I finally answer, though it sounds more like a question.

Jace steps into the small bit of moonlight that had been able to creep pass the slight openings of the trees. I can see his eyebrow raised, obvious doubt in his eyes, his stance tense. "You sure about that, Red? "Cause it seems to me that you followed me here."

"Yeah, of course I'm sure," I lie, not wanting to admit that he was right. "What makes you think that I'd follow you? We don't even know each other. And my name's not Red, it's Clary," I add, as I realize what he'd called me, though he probably didn't care.

Jace scoffs, "I know you more than you think. You're dad died and your mom abandoned you. Blah blah blah. Maryse gave us a briefing."

I feel my anger rise at his nonchalant attitude towards my life. "What the fuck is your problem?" I scream at him. "It may not be your life that's so fucked up, but it doesn't give you the right to just toss it to the side, acting as if it shouldn't matter," I glare at him. If looks could kill, he'd be long gone. "My father is _dead. _My mother _left me. _Do you not have the decency to at least act sorry? Gosh, you're such a fucking dick!" I can practically feel steam coming out of my ears as I breathe heavily after my rant.

It's quiet for a minute when suddenly he laughs. He _fucking _**laughs**. My anger reaches its peak. I march up to him, closing the distance between us. I get into his face, our noses practically touching. "You're such a fucking _asshat_! First, you hate on me for no reason, then you make fun of my _life _that is currently shitty_. _And now you're fucking _laughing?_" I ask him, poking him in the chest. _Someone is certainly fit, _I think to myself as I hit nothing, but solid muscle.

I shake my head, suddenly realizing what I had unconsciously thought, and turn to glare at him again.

"Well well well, looks like someone has anger issues," Jace says in response, his stupid smirk in place. I don't know if it's possible to hate a smirk, but I hated his. I just wanted to smack the damn thing off his face. "Fiery hair for a fiery girl," he laughs at his own joke.

I give an exasperated sigh. _He seems so bipolar. First, he's angry. Now, he can't stop making fun of me. _"Do you have a serious bone in your body? You're so immature."

I can see the amusement in his eyes. _He thinks this is all a fucking joke. _"You know what? Forget it. This is so not worth my time." I storm past him, heading back to the house, not wanting to deal with his bullshit anymore.

"The house is the other way," he calls behind me, stifled laughter clear in his voice. I make a 180 and head in the opposite direction I had just been going in, not sparing him a glance. I can hear his laugh, as I make my way back.

* * *

"Stupid Jace with his stupid smirk... and his stupid face... and his stupid everything...," I mumble to myself. I'm currently in my room, putting away my clothes in my new walk in closet.

I still haven't gotten over what had gone down in the woods with Jace. Honestly, I was quite frustrated. I'd never met anyone who could piss me off as much as he could, only hours after meeting them. I didn't understand how he had the ability to get under my skin so easily and I was starting to get pissed off at myself for letting him get a rise out of me. _From now on, I'm going to ignore him, _I promise myself.

As I'm walking towards my closet to put away a hoodie, I hear a knock at the door, followed by a creak as its pushed open. I turn around to see who's there and see a scrawny looking boy with glasses. I vaguely remember Isabelle introducing him as Simon. He's kind of got the nerd look going on, but he can totally rock it. "Hey," he greets me. "You busy?"

I give him a smile, "Hey. Just putting away my stuff."

"Need help?" He offers.

"That's fine, thanks. I'm just finishing up actually," I decline his offer, putting away a pair of jeans and stowing my suitcase under my bed. "What's up? Did you need something?"

"Just wanted to see if you were settling in okay," he explains. "Did you want to hang out or something?" Simon asks suddenly. He kind of looks nervous, rubbing his neck. "I-I mean... You don't have to. It was just a suggestion, but its fine. You've probably got better stuff to do. I'm just gonna go now," he rambles, pointing a thumb in the direction of the door.

I giggle quietly, "I'd love to hang out. What did you have in mind?"

He grins. "Follow me. You up for some video games?"

I nod, giving him a smile, and begin to follow as he exits my room.

* * *

_Player 2 wins. _I throw my controller to the side, and jump out of my seat. "FUCK YEAH!" I scream, as I start to dance around the room. "I won, you lost. I'm the winner, you're the loser. HAHAHAHA." I say to Simon, rubbing my victory in his face.

He scowls. "I totally let you win," he grumbles.

"Psh. Yeah right! I won, fair and square! Don't be such a poor-sport." I continue to dance around the room. Suddenly, I crash to the ground. Looking behind me, I see Simon with an innocent look on his face. I send him a death glare and get up, dusting myself of imaginary dust. "That wasn't very nice."

"What? I didn't do anything," he says, still giving me his stupid innocent act.

"Whatever," I grumble, sitting back down in my previously occupied spot on the floor next to Simon.

"So, Clary, tell me about yourself," Simon breaks the short silence.

"What do you want to know?" I turn to look at him.

"Anything. Full name, age, birthday, hobbies," he names off.

"My name's Clarissa Fray Morgenstern. I'm 16. My birthday is September 16, and I like art, playing video games, and reading mangas." I list off, answering all of his questions. "What about you?"

"Simon Lewis. Turned 16 on March 13 and I like video games, mangas, and I play in a band."

I raise both of my eyebrows, not having been graced with the ability to raise one at a time. "A band, huh? With who?"

"Friends from my old school. We're not that serious though. We spend more time changing our band name than we actually do practicing."

"So you guys aren't good then?"

He laughs. "Not at all."

* * *

After spending a good part of the evening with Simon, I make my way to my room. It's just after midnight and I'm still wide awake. _I shouldn't have had that nap earlier, _I curse myself.

Opening my door, I spot my sketch pad on the floor, where I'd left it before I'd followed Jace into the woods. I pick it up and move towards my bed, sitting down on it with my legs crossed. Flipping to a new page, I begin to sketch, no particular image in mind. I continue drawing unconsciously as I let my mind wander back to what happened in the woods. _Who was Jace talking too? And what couldn't he do anymore? _I sigh. I have absolutely no idea as to the answers to my own questions.

I push the thought to the back of my head and glance down at the drawing I'd drawn and finished unconsciously. I gasp, recognizing the face that I'd drawn. _What is it about him? Why won't my stupid mind shut up about him? Ugh._

I close my sketch pad, not wanting to see the picture anymore. I toss it onto the floor, and decide to sleep, hoping that some shut-eye would help to get him off my mind.

* * *

It's been about a month since I've moved into the Lightwoods mansion. I've surprisingly enjoyed my time here, getting to know the other guys and hanging out with them, especially Simon and Isabelle - we're pretty much joined at the hip now. However, things between Jace and I haven't changed, though he's stopped with the glares and such, opting to send me a smirk whenever I happened to glance at him. Other than that, things have gone good so far. He's still a jerk and I'm still trying to avoid/ignore him.

"Hey, Red!" I hear behind me. _Shit, _I think, _I totally just jinxed myself._

I take in a deep breath before I turn around to face him. "Yes?" I ask politely, hoping that it'd help to get him to leave me alone.

He gives me a cocky grin, "Heard your preggers with Rat Boys baby. How's that going?"

Making a 180, I march towards the house. _He's an idiot. Don't let him bother you. Ignore him._ I chant in my head. Just as I step inside, I hear the doorbell ring. I rush to open it, and begin to scream as I open it to see Maia. "OH MY GOSH! YOU'RE HERE! AHH!" We rush towards each other, pulling each other into a hug. We begin to jump around, squealing like little girls.

"AHH! I can't believe I finally get to see you again!" Maia screams. She pulls back and looks over me as I do the same to her. Maia has dark skin and honey coloured eyes with long, curly black hair. She's about 5"5', which towers over my 5". She's wearing a pair of blue skinny jeans with a light grey crop-top and brown cowboy boots.

"You look great!" I compliment her, leading her into the house.

"You look amazing too, Clare," Maia responds, a duffel bag set on her shoulder. She's staying for the last month of the summer so we can spend some time together before the distance and school get too much and we won't be able to spend time together. "Whoa. You weren't kidding when you said the place was massive," Maia says, looking around. "It's so pretty."

"It is. I'm always so paranoid, thinking I'm going to break something."

"I wouldn't be surprised if you did," Maia teases.

I hit her shoulder playfully, sticking my tongue out in her direction. "Come on, I'll show you to your room," I offer, climbing up the stairs as Maia follows.

* * *

**A/N:**

**So, I tried to move along in the story and write a lot for this chapter, but I feel like the story is all over the place now, like I put too much info into one chapter. Hope yall can keep up with everything that went on in the chapter.**

**'Guest' reviewed giving me the idea about Clary seeing Jace talking to someone, then getting caught. I thought it was kind of cliche, but I was like, 'why not?' I want to be open to your ideas, so I'll always take them into consideration. Oh, and also, thank you to 'guest' for pointing out that I forgot to mention Magnus when Isabelle was talking about how the boys weren't her actual adopted brothers! Totally missed that mistake, obviously.**

**Also, I was hoping to post a chapter yesterday, but I had homework. Like homework on the first day of the second semester? Really? UGH. My teachers suck.**

**I'm in grade 11, so only 3 more semesters til I graduate! I'm taking English, Pre-Cal and grade 12 Bio right now. English is alright, but Pre-Cal and Bio are stressing me out! I feel like I should be in grade 9 with how things are going! It's only the second day of second semester too! BLAH.**

**Thanks for all the reviews, favs, and follows! I've seen that lots of people have read the story. Almost 300, but I haven't gotten much feedback, so I'm not too sure about your opinions of the story. Not complaining though, since this is my first story and I'm not too sure about what to expect.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**-MC**

**Oh, and disclaimer: I don't own the Mortal Instruments. I own nothing but the plot.**

**^^ Forgot to do that for the last two chapters. Ooops. Haha.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Cassie Clare owns everything else.**

* * *

Clary POV

_"Come on, I'll show you too your room," I offer, climbing up the stairs as Maia follows._

I lead Maia down the same hall that my room is in, stopping at the door across from mine. "Here we are," I open the door, showing Maia her new room for the month.

She gasps. "Holy _shit. _This is amazing!" She exclaims, rushing around the room and taking it all in. "Oh my gosh! I love this place! Can I stay here forever?" She begs.

Maia's room is really nice, just like the rest of the house. Though, if you asked me, it had nothing over my room. The room had a big king sized bed, just like mine, though it was located across from the door. On either side of the bed, there were two windows, which allowed sunlight in. On the left, there was a door that led to the en suite, and to the right, a door that lead to a walk in closet. The room had a purple, black and white theme. The curtains, rug, comforter and pillow cases were purple, while the vanity was white and the bench next to one of the windows was black. The walls were all white except for the wall the bed was up against which was purple.

Laughing, I cross the room to sit on her bed. "I wish you could, but I doubt your mom would be okay with that," I point out.

Maia sighs and sits next to me. "Well then, I guess we're going to have to make the best out of the time I do have here," Maia giggles.

* * *

Maia and I make our way towards the dining room since it's now time for dinner. We spent the time leading up to dinner putting away Maia's things and catching up. I hadn't realized until earlier just how much I missed the almost-daily get-togethers I'd have with not only Maia, but also the rest of my friends back home.

Sighing, I set aside my thoughts and look up to see that we've arrived at the dining room I head straight for my unofficial assigned seat, pulling up a chair for Maia to sit next to me. I hear the now familiar pounding of feet as the boys barge into the room and take their seats as well.

Once they were all seated, I cleared my throat to get their attention. "Guys! I want to introduce you to someone." I begin. Once they all turned their gazes in my direction, I began the introductions. "Guys, this is my best friend, Maia. Mai, these are the guys; Alec, Simon, Magnus, Seb, Jon, and Max." I can't help but notice that the blonde-haired jerk is nowhere to be seen.

I then look to my left, about to introduce Maia to Isabelle, only to see her spot vacant. I turn my gaze towards the boys, confused, "Does anyone know where Isabelle is?"

"She's out on a date," I hear a familiar voice answer as they enter the room.

"With who?" I ask, turning to look at Jace.

His face contorted into a look of disgust as he answered, "Raphael."

Confusion bubbles within me once again, "Who's Raphael?"

"Only the biggest player and asshole that's ever walked the planet," Magnus informs me.

"Huh. Funny. I thought that title was saved for Jace," I reply, sending Jace a smile. He gives me the finger in response.

"But seriously, Clary. The guy's bad news," Simon says. I turn to face him as he continues, "Raphael dates a girl, and tells her things to make her fall for him. Then once he gets what he wants, he dumps the girl, leaving her heartbroken."

"Wouldn't Isabelle know information like that?" I ask the boys seated around the table. They all nod. "So why is she out with him then?" They all shrug in response. "Ugh. You guys are hopeless," I cry, throwing my hands in the air.

Thankfully, the food arrives at that moment, preventing any arguments from starting as we all begin to eat.

* * *

Once dinner is finished, Maia and I make our way back to my room. "So I'm guessing that's the guy you're always complaining about?" Maia asks, subtlety pointing in the direction Jace had walked in.

"Yeap," I pop the 'p'. "His name's Jace by the way. Steer clear of that boy," I tell her, "He's nothing but trouble. Plus, he's super annoying. Oh, and he's kind of secretive and mysterious," I add as I think back to the little confrontation we had in the woods a while back. I still didn't know what he was doing out there or who he was talking to. I make a note to myself to find out.

"Oh, don't worry," Maia waves off. "He's all yours, which reminds me! Is that Jordan guy single? He's kinda cute," Maia bites her lip, twirling a lock of hair between her fingers.

I roll my eyes, continuing towards my room. "I'm not sure. I'll ask around," I wink playfully. We erupt into giggles, walking into my room.

"So, how come so many of you guys live with the Lightwoods?" Maia asked suddenly. We'd been sitting in comfortable silence, with me painting and Maia reading a magazine. "Like I understand why you're here, but why are the other guys?"

I sigh, putting down my paint brush and going to sit beside her on my bed. "They're like me. Underage with no family and no way to survive, you know?"

"So then why is Jace the only one that's actually adopted by the Lightwoods?" Maia asked curiously. After the conversation I'd had at dinner my first night, I'd called Maia the next day to tell her all about it. How many people were living here, how they all weren't adopted except for Jace, etc. I'm surprised she even remembered all of that, since I'd told her a lot.

"I don't know. I think his parents and the Lightwoods were good friends. I think I remember Isabelle telling me that her parents were his godparents, so it'd make sense that they'd adopted him," I try to explain.

Maia nods half-heartedly, already consumed with her magazine again. Rolling my eyes, I get up and go back to my painting.

* * *

It's been almost a week since Maia arrived and it's been great, though she's been spending a good bit of her time with Jordan. It's quite cute actually, catching them flirting with one another, but neither of them saying anything. I look behind me to see them talking, Maia's giggles floating across the backyard. I smile at her obvious happiness. _Too cute._

I turn back around in my seat, only to come face to face with Jace. "Holy shit!" I exclaim as I jump in my seat. Once my heart has settled down, I turn to give him a glare, "Was that really necessary?"

I can see amusement in his eyes as he gives me his smirk, "I didn't want to interrupt your staring. I hadn't realized that you were a creeper."

I smack his chest, "Oh hush!" I laugh. Jace has been surprisingly tolerable as of recently. We haven't gotten into an argument since Maia arrived. I mean, we aren't friends or anything, but we can have a civil conversation and we'd joke around sometimes, which is a pretty big accomplishment in my opinion.

He lets out a chuckle, "So why were you staring at them?"

"I'm just happy to see them happy," I say. "...And I might kind of be jealous of their relationship." I add when Jace gives me a look.

"Jealous, Red? Never thought I'd see the day," he teases. I send him a playful glare. "Okay, okay. Sorry." He plays along, raising his hands in the universal sign for surrender.

"You better be," I say mock seriously, as I try to fight back a smile. It fails and I let out another laugh as Jace laughs along as well. "You're a dork," I tell him.

"You did not just say that," he mock gasps, placing a hand above his heart as if I'd hurt his feelings.

"I think I did."

"Apologize," he orders playfully.

"No," I shake my head.

"Oh, now you're going to get it," he says, pointing a finger at me. "You better run."

I jump up from my seat, screaming, making a run for the house. I can hear his laughter from behind me as he chases me around the yard. Just as I reach the door, I feel a pair of arms wrap around my waist. "Gotcha," he whispers in my ear, causing a shiver to run down my spine.

I turn around in his arms and look up at him. _He's so close. _I can feel my heartbeat speed up. I push away from him when I realize that he's starting to lean in and see a brief flash of hurt in his eyes. Muttering an excuse, I run inside the house and up to my room.

I open my door and quickly close it, locking the door. "What the _fuck _was _that_?" I whisper to myself as I slide down my bedroom door.

* * *

I've been avoiding Jace for the rest of the day after our _moment_ outside earlier. I've replayed the events in my head repeatedly, trying to figure out what had happened. I couldn't come up with a plausible answer, so I thought it'd be best to just avoid him and the inevitable awkwardness that would arise once we were in the same vicinity. I've been hiding up in my room since earlier and I was getting quite bored.

I decide to go for a walk. Hopefully, the fresh air will help clear my head of today's events if only for an hour. Putting on a hoodie and a pair of yoga capris, I head towards my door and I stick my head out, looking around to make sure the coast was clear of Jace.

Just as I decide it's safe, I close the door behind me and head for the stairs, only to bump into something - or more like someone - and fall on my behind. "I'm sor-" I begin to apologize, only to look up to see Jace. _Shit. So much for avoiding him._

He raises an eyebrow and gestures toward my outfit, "Going somewhere?"

I was tempted to brush him off and tell him that it was none of his business, but I decide to answer him truthfully. "Going for a walk," I answer, looking down at my shoe-clad feet.

"Want company?" He asks me. My head shoots up to look at him in surprise.

I bite my lip and shrug, "Sure, why not?" He nods and together, we make our way down the stairs and out the front door. _This is going to be interesting._

* * *

**A/N:**

**What'd you think? Clary and Jace's relationship is starting to improve. Their able to have conversations now, somewhat, but they aren't quite friends yet. And they're going for a walk too! What do you think will happen? Clary's got some mixed feelings about Jace right now, so anything could happen at this point.**

**I tried to somewhat explain the adopted-siblings-but-not-adopted-siblings thing since some of you don't really understand. I'm planning to expand on it fully in another chapter, so I hope the little explanation in here will help you understand it a little.**

**School sucks, as usual. I've got homework from all subjects, so I'll be spending my weekend doing that.**

**We got some new rules at work that are super strict. As of yesterday, we've got to clock-in and clock-out, not only for our shift, but for our breaks too! I work at a movie theatre btw. We also have to pay for drinks and popcorn! I guess we took advantage of the free everything really, but come on! Drinks and popcorn?! Ugh. I'm currently dreading having to go to work later.**

**So, I kind of got into an argument with my mom. She pissed me off. For school, we need a certain amount of volunteer hours to graduate, so 3 of my friends and myself decided to sign up to volunteer at the children's museum in my city. We have some sort of orientation today that we've got to go to and if you're underage, you've got to bring a parent. I am obviously underage, so I told my mom about it several times - to which she all agreed to. So, today, I'm getting ready and I try calling her. It takes forever until she finally calls me back 15 minutes before the orientation begins. She tells me that she can't make it and that I should've known that she couldn't make it and blah blah blah. So I get mad and hang up on her. Like why did she tell me that she could go all those times if she knew she couldn't?! She should've just told me that she couldn't go in the beginning so I could've found someone else to go with me! Like who am I supposed to find to go with me in 15 minutes, no less at 9 in the morning! Ugh. So inconsiderate. Now I need to find some other way to get my hours AND I'm not talking to my mom too. BLAH!**

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter! Let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions. I'd love to hear them!**

**-MC**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

Clary POV

_I bite my lip and shrug, "Sure, why not?" He nods and together, we make our way down the stairs and out the front door._This is going to be interesting.

All you could hear was the sound of our feet against the pavement as we were walking, no destination in mind. The silence was comfortable, relaxing even. I hadn't had the time to do this in a while, just walk around without having to worry about places to be or people to see - to just enjoy the silence and clear my head. It was such a refreshing feeling to be outside, breathing in the fresh air.

I looked at Jace out of the corner of my eye. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a plain v-neck. He had his hands in his pockets, gaze ahead. He looked so cute in his current relaxed state. It was quite amazing just how effortlessly good-looking he was, I was almost jealous.

I turned my gaze back to the sidewalk in front of me, taking in the scene before my eyes. The sun was starting to set, casting a beautiful glow on the city. My hands began to itch for my paints and canvas, wanting to paint the view.

I hear a chuckle beside me. I turn to look at Jace, my eyebrows raised and head tilted in confusion, "What's so funny?" I question.

"You," Jace shakes his head, still laughing.

"And how am I funny?" I put my hands on my hip, turning to face him as we came to a stop.

His laughter dies down as he answers, "Because I can see the way you're looking at the sunset. Your face is all scrunched up cute and your hand is twitching. You want to paint it. If I hadn't known you drew before, I'd sure as hell know now."

I blush and look down, mumbling something unintelligently.

Jace puts a finger under my chin, lifting my face so that my gaze came to rest on his. "Hey, I didn't mean to make you embarrassed. It was a compliment, if you didn't know. You've got the talent - you're a true artist. Just looking at you then, I could feel the passion you had for drawing. That's nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about." I check to see if his confession had been true, looking for any signs of dishonesty, but only find sincerity and honesty. My heart flutters slightly.

"Thanks," I whisper quietly. He sends me a small smile, then steps back. We continue our walk, our little exchange forgotten.

The once comfortable silence is starting to get to me, my hands beginning to fidget. "So..." I say, wanting to fill the silence. I see Jace look at my out of the corner of his eye, an eyebrow raised in question. "Um... How's life?" I ask quickly, and then mentally slap myself at the stupid question.

Jace lets out small chuckle, "Good, I guess. The summer has been pretty fun so far. I got my school schedule in the mail today though. That kind of put a damper on my mood."

I frown. With all the stuff that had happened this summer, I totally forgot about having to go back to school. I voice my thoughts, "I totally forgot about school."

Jace frowns too and leads us to a bench as we arrive at a park. He sits down and I take the seat to his right, making myself comfortable. "Has Isabelle or Maryse talked to you about it yet?" Jace asks.

"Not really, no, Maryse did tell me that I was going to the same school as you guys though, St. - something?"

"St. Xavier's," he corrects me.

"Yeah, that's it!" From the little information that Maryse had given me about the school, I could already tell it was different from my old school back home, only allowing in the best of the best - or in some cases, those whose parents paid to get them in. _Oh well._ "Is it alright? It's not the stereotypical élite school with snobs and shit, is it?"

"Oh gosh. You're different, you know that?" Jace laughs, shaking his head. "And no, it's not the 'stereotypical elite school with snobs and shit.' The people are actually pretty cool, though there are some people who you should stay away from - Aline and Kaelie, for example." Jace advises me.

"Aline and Kaelie?" I question.

"The school sluts," Jace informs me. "They're the biggest bitches you'll probably ever meet." He continues, "They're really stupid too. They only got in 'cause their daddies paid the school."

I nod in understanding. _So they're those types of girls._

We sit in silence for a bit, not knowing what to talk about anymore, "So what was your old school like?" Jace asks me, breaking the silence.

"It was really fun," I say, getting lost in memories from my past school. "People were nice, not much drama. I miss it."

"No drama?" Jace asks, sounding disbelieving.

"Surprisingly, yeah. You could say we were lucky. Though, all good things come to an end at some point, right?" I ask rhetorically, thinking about how I had ended up here. Nostalgia begins to overwhelm me, giving me the urge to go back home, but I know I can't, so I try to brush it off and continue my conversation with Jace. "So what about you? What's your story?" I ask Jace, curiously.

"What do you want to know?"

"Anything."

He thinks for a bit, not knowing where to start.

"How about your childhood?" I suggest, "Something easy."

"I can do that," Jace says. "So... I grew up in Manhattan with my parents, Stephan and Celine Herondale and I'm an only child. When I was about 7 we moved to Queens - change of scenery, I guess," he starts. "Um... I don't know. I got the usual childhood - toys, attention, friends. Nothing special," he shrugs. "What about you?"

"It was great the first few years. I grew up as an only child in Brooklyn with my mother and father, Jocelyn and Valentine Morgenstern," a smile growing on my face as I begin to think of the fun times of my childhood, "I can remember a bunch of art - paintings, drawings, etc. Mom loved art and she had a real talent with it too, so I guess it kind of got passed down to me," my smile fades as I continue, "We were really happy - that is until dad got sick. That's when things started to take a turn for the worse. When I was about 11, he was diagnosed with leukemia and he couldn't work anymore, so mom had to do everything," I get lost in the memories, remembering the hardest point in my life. "Dad fought for just over a year, that's when he couldn't do it anymore. He stopped treatment and just let nature take its course. Mom and I - gosh, things were terrible when dad died," I begin to choke up, my eyes glazed with unshed tears. "As time went on, mom started pushing away from me, until she eventually left almost two months ago. By that time, she didn't even acknowledge my existence, so I guess it was understandable for her to just up and leave without letting me know."

Jace brings me into his side in a half hug to comfort me. I relish in the feeling, snuggling closer as his arm tightens around me. We sit there, overlooking the park in comfortable silence.

I begin to think about how Jace's attitude had taken a total 180 today. Usually, he'd keep to himself and ignore me, whereas today, he doing the total opposite, opening up to me and telling me about his life as I did the same in return. It felt good to finally tell someone about the difficulties I had growing up. I hadn't really talked to anyone about it, not even Maia, so I was quite surprised to find myself confiding in Jace. Though it wasn't necessarily a bad surprise.

"So how'd you end up with the Lightwoods?" I suddenly ask Jace, moving my head from where it was against his shoulder to look up at him.

His expression hardens for a split second before it morphs into his usual blank expression, "Well, my parents died when I was 10. They were on a plane back from Idris, their home country, when the pilot lost control of the plane and they crashed," he shrugs nonchalantly. "After we found out, the Lightwoods took me in since they're my godparents and the rest is history. Izzy, Alec, Max, Maryse and Robert may not be my biological family, but they're my family in every way it counts," he has a small smile on his face, thinking about the Lightwoods, "I don't remember much about my parents since it was so long ago, so it didn't affect me as much as it would have if I'd been older." He looks down at me quickly, before returning his gaze to the park in front of us, silently telling me that he didn't want to discuss the matter any further.

"What about the other guys? How'd they end up with the Lightwoods?" I ask him.

"The guys? Well, Magnus and Simon came along first. Magnus was disowned after he told his parents about his sexuality," I nod, already knowing about Magnus' preference in men, "He was and still is dating Alec, so Maryse and Robert agreed to let him stay, but they didn't adopt him because they didn't want to interfere with his and Alec's relationship. And besides the fact that he gets his stupid glitter everywhere, Magnus isn't so bad, plus he makes Alec happy, and who am I to take that away?" He asks rhetorically.

He continues, "Simon used to live next door to us when we still lived in the city. His mom was our second mom, always taking care of us when Maryse and Robert had to go away for business. She'd always bake us cookies and stuff, but she fell ill and passed away a few years back, so the Lightwoods took him in too. They decided not to adopt him too because we think him and Isabelle have a thing," he smirks as I giggle. "And the other guys - Seb, Jon and Jordan all came from abusive homes. When Maryse and Robert took them in, they gave them the choice of becoming adopted or not, to which they decided not to since there really was no point," he finishes his explanation.

"And I thought my life was complicated," I laugh as Jace joins in. We quieted down again, not having anything else to talk about and not really wanting to talk anyways. I lean my head on his shoulder and cuddle into him again, sighing in content. _I could get used to this._

* * *

We left the park after staying there for about an hour. We are currently retracing our steps back to the house, hand-in-hand. I was pleasantly surprised when we'd stood from the bench and Jace had taken my hand in his. I wasn't complaining though, since I quite liked the feeling of our hands intertwined.

I was still in disbelief from our day together. I was sure that we would never be more than acquaintances, but after tonight, I felt like we'd known each other all our lives, like we were meant to be friends or more. I can't quite describe how I was feeling at the moment; though complete would probably be the closest word for it.

As we rounded a corner, I could see the house in the distance. I was sort of dreading having to go home, not knowing what would happen between Jace and I. _Would we go back to ignoring each other? Or would we be friends? _The uncertainty I felt was unnerving, and I guess Jace could see my conflicted feelings for he squeezed my hand in reassurance, sending me a small smile as we arrived at the front door. He takes a key out of his pocket, unlocking the door. We enter the house, our hands still clasped.

I hear the tv on in the living room and drag Jace with me to see who it is. Peaking around the corner, a smile comes to my face as I see everyone crowded around the tv, watching a movie. Izzy and Simon are sat together on the couch with Alec and Magnus next to them. Jordan is sitting on the love-seat with Maia on his lap. Seb and Jon are sat on the floor in front of the couch. Everyone is so into the movie that they don't notice me and Jace standing at the entrance.

I look behind me at Jace, silently asking him if he wants to join him, to which he shakes his head no. He tugs on my hand, leading me upstairs. We stop in front of my door where we just stand there, looking at each other.

Suddenly, Jace leans forward and places a kiss on my forehead. Warmth spreads through me and I savour the feeling. When he pulls away, I try not to let the disappointment show on my face and look up at him. He sends me a small smile, "Goodnight, Clary. Sweet dreams."

"Sweet dreams."

Jace places another kiss on my forehead before he turns and walks down the hall. My eyes follow him until he's out of my sight. When he's gone, I turn to my door and open it. A yawn escapes me as the exhaustion from the day's events finally catches up to me. After getting dressed in my pajamas I climb into bed and go to sleep, a smile on my face.

* * *

**A/N:**

**OMG! I'M SO SO SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING SOONER! I've been so busy, whether it be with school or work. I know - excuses, but it's the truth! I've been stressing with school, precal in particular. It's actually so hard. Like, I actually do not understand a thing. When I work on it, I just feel like crying sometimes. Ugh, it's just a huge mess. I picked up a few shifts at work recently too. I usually only work weekends, but I kind of need the money so I picked up some weekday shifts. It's also a holiday tomorrow, so I'm working then too. And on top of all that, we got our registration forms for next year and I'm freaking out 'cause I don't know what I want to do with my life after high school! LIKE ASKFHKGHFDLGHDLKFGJDF.**

**So the chapter was a filler with lots of Clace going on. Not only have they opened up to each other, but their relationship has seemed to develop. I was kind of making myself cheesed with some of the scenes I wrote, lol. I also finally expanded on the adopted-but-not-adopted-siblings thing. Hope you guys understand now! I was trying to get myself to write a long chapter, but this was all I could come up with 'cause God knows yall deserve it for having to wait so long. And there may be some mistakes since I didn't spend too much time going over it. I wanted to get this to you guys asap!**

**Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Let me know what you guys think and/or what you want to happen next! Thanks for all the reviews, favs and follows!**

**-MC**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Cassie Clare owns everything, but the plot.**

* * *

Clary POV

_A yawn escapes me as the exhaustion from the day's events finally catches up to me. After getting dressed in my pajamas I climb into bed and go to sleep, a smile on my face_

I woke up the next day, stretching my arms above my head as I let out a yawn. A smile comes to my face as I remember the previous night I'd spent with Jace. I've never really been the type of girl to crush on guys, but I just couldn't help it when it came to Jace. He'd been such a jerk when we'd first met, with his cocky and arrogant attitude. But after last night, my whole perspective on him had changed. Jace was such a sweetheart last night, opening up to me and I to him.

I let out a content sight before climbing out of bed and heading towards my en suite. I jump in the shower, adding shampoo and conditioner to my hair, then washing my body. I climb out of the shower once I'm done and head to the sink to brush my teeth. Once I've rinsed out my mouth, I make my way out of my en suite and into my walk-in closet. I bite my lip as I look through my clothes, not knowing what to wear. I usually didn't spend much time with my outfit, but I'd 'coincidentally' felt the urge to do so today - it had absolutely nothing to do with the blonde-haired angel that I'd spent my night with.

Finally finding an outfit I'd deemed acceptable, I head back into my room and towards my bed to quickly slip on my clothes. I'd picked out a cute floral summer dress and a thin brown belt to wear with it, and quickly slipped it on. I pick up my brown heeled boots and pull them on my feet. I walk over to my full-length mirror to look myself over. _I look good. _I decide to leave my hair in its natural messy waves after I blow-dry my hair. I add a bit of mascara and grab my brown purse before I make my way downstairs.

I was kind of nervous to see Jace today. I didn't exactly know where we stood after last night. _Were we acquaintances? Friends? Or something more? _I wasn't sure and I was nervous to find out. I was sure our relationship had developed somewhat though, after last night. You couldn't just tell someone your life story and not be considered friends at the least.

Right?

I shake the thought off as I enter the kitchen. Isabelle was perched on a barstool in front of the counter, eating. She faces the door as she hears me enter the room. I look over her outfit and she does the same to me. Isabelle is wearing a pair of light-washed denim shorts with a charcoal coloured sweater on top. The sweater had a slit back and she wore a pastel pink infinity scarf on top. She wore knee-length black socks with a pair of black lace-up combat boots. She finished off her outfit with a black purse. She looked amazing. Quite frankly, Isabelle looked good in anything she wore, which was something I was sort of jealous of. Isabelle sends me a look of approval as I to her.

The second week after I had arrived, Isabelle had finally gotten a look at my wardrobe. We'd been hanging out in my room, talking, when she'd suddenly jumped up and made her way to into my walk-in closet. She came back out a few minutes later with a frown on her face, and declared that my clothes were 'unacceptable'. Isabelle had dragged me to the mall the next day and ended up buying me a whole new wardrobe. I was grateful, don't get me wrong, but I just didn't see the use in spending so much money on such petty things. I daren't say that in front of Isabelle though. She'd probably rip my head off.

"Morning, Izzy." I greet her with a smile.

"Morning," she returns the smile.

I grab a bowl, filling it with milk and cereal, then take the seat next to her. "Any plans today before Maryse and Robert arrive?" I question her.

"Everyone was thinking of driving to the city and walking around," Izzy tells me. "We might go to Taki's after for a late lunch or something too before coming back to get ready for dinner."

"Sounds good," I respond.

"Oh, before I forget, Maia told me that she has to go home tonight. Something about her family coming to visit or something." Isabelle informs me.

I frown, "Oh. Do you know if she's packed already?"

Isabelle nods. "Yeah, Jordan helped her last night. They're hanging out right now. Jordan's pretty upset about her leaving early."

I sigh, "They're both probably upset. Oh well, at least they can spend the rest of the day together. Maia will be happy about that. Plus, she can visit whenever she wants and we can visit her sometimes too." I was glad that Maia lived only a couple hours away and could easily come back to see us.

Turning back towards my food, I continue to eat my cereal, looking forward to our plans for the day.

* * *

I was currently sat in a booth at Taki's with Izzy, Maia, Jordan, Simon, Alec, Magnus, Seb, Jon, and Max. I try not to dwell on the missing blonde-haired boy and strike up a conversation with Jon. We'd spent a few hours walking around the city, going to Central Park, Times Square and other places. Once we'd tired ourselves out, we headed to Taki's to sate our grumbling stomachs.

I'd never been to Taki's, so I wasn't too sure about what to order. I needn't have to worry though, as Jonathon had come to my rescue and recommended I order their 'usual' which was pancakes and sweet potato fries. I'd sent him a half-amused, half-confused look before handing the waitress my menu and reciting my order.

Jonathon and I had become close throughout the day, taking on a sibling role between us. Everyone had paired up on the walk; Izzy with Simon, Maia with Jordan, Alec with Magnus, and Seb with Max, leaving me and Jon to walk together. We hadn't talked much in the past, so we'd walked in silence for the first bit of our walk before we'd finally got into comfortable conversation. By the end of our walk, we'd been teasing each other as if we'd grown up together as siblings. Jon was the brother I'd always wanted, but never got; that is, until now.

We'd talked a lot today, learning stuff about each other. I'd told him about most of the things I'd told Jace last night; though, I didn't go into as much detail. In return, he'd told me a bit about his former home life and his girlfriend of two years, Madeline. She was currently on vacation with her family, but Jonathon had assured me that he'd introduce us as soon as she was back, which would probably be the first day of school. Speaking of school, it was our current topic of conversation.

"Excited for school, Red?" Jon asks me, putting an arm around my shoulders and glaring at the table behind us. My dress had turned out to be a bit shorter than I'd originally thought and it had caught the attention of those of the male gender as I'd been out throughout the day. Jon had taken on the role of overprotective big brother and I found it quite cute.

"What kind of question is that?" I say, "Of course not. Who gets excited for school?" I scrunch up my nose in distaste, causing Jon to let out a laugh.

"School is great! You get to wake up early and learn five days a week for ten months! Who wouldn't enjoy that?"

"A normal person?" I tell him, fighting to keep the smile off my face at his ridiculousness.

He scoffs playfully, "Are you saying that I'm not normal?"

"Well, it's questionable."

Jon tries to give me an angry look, though it looks more like he's constipated. I can't help but laugh at his face. His lip begins to twitch as he fights to keep the laughter in, but after a moment he can't hold it back any longer and joins me in my laughter.

* * *

Later in the day, I was sat perched in front of Isabelle's vanity as she was styling my hair with her curling iron. Maryse and Robert were finally coming home tonight and we were celebrating their arrival with a fancy dinner at an even fancier restaurant. I'd been informed that it was recurring that Maryse and Robert would go on business trips during the summer and come back two weeks before school started, then once they'd get back, the family would go out for dinner. Isabelle had insisted that I'd need some assistance with getting ready and had quickly volunteered herself to help me. I'd been reluctant to accept her offer; Alec had told me a few stories about how she could get carried away. I admit, it was a bit painful, but the end result was totally worth it.

Isabelle had somehow tamed my untameable hair, styling it into soft, beautiful waves that flowed down my back, just stopping at the centre of my back. At my request, she'd used minimal make-up on me, going for a natural look. She'd used a small amount of green eye-shadow to help accentuate my emerald eyes. Isabelle quickly shooed me into her en suite to change into my dress for the night once she was done with my make-up.

She'd picked out a green dress that came just above my knee and helped to accentuate my eyes even more. It had a thin, black belt around my waist. Isabelle paired it with black peep toe heels. Isabelle lets out a squeal as soon as I step out of the en suite, giving me an approving once-over. She quickly hands me a pair of green dangly earrings and bangles before tending to herself.

Isabelle was wearing a long-sleeved black dress that tightened around her waist and stopped a few inches below her butt. It was quite short, but her model-like figure helped her pull it off. She paired it with a beige belt around her waist and beige heels that had a sort of strappy design on the top of her foot. Isabelle finished off the look with beige dangly earrings and bangles.

Once we'd both deemed ourselves done, we grabbed our black and beige clutches respectively before exiting her room. Simon and Jon were waiting at the bottom of the stairs, talking quietly. Knowing we'd take a while, Isabelle had told the others to head there before us, to which everyone but Simon and Jon agreed to. Si and Jon had insisted that they accompany us there, and without much protest, we agreed.

Hearing the sound of our heels connecting with the floor, the two boys looked up towards us, grins on their faces.

"You look amazing," Jon whispered as soon as I reached him. He helps me put on my black coat to help keep me from the nights chilly air. Jon then offers me his arm as I take it gratefully and offer him a smile in thanks as we exit the house. We jump into Jon's car with Jon driving, me in the passenger seat, and Izzy and Si in the back, and make our way to the restaurant.

* * *

We enter the restaurant and walk up to the maître d'. "Lightwood party," Jon informs him.

He nods. "Right this way," he leads us into the restaurant. We enter a separate area from the restaurant and I instantly spot the guys and Maia seated at the table.

"Mom and Dad should be here in a bit," Alec informs us as soon as he sees us.

Jon pulls out a seat for me next to Max and seats himself in the seat on my other side. "Thanks," I whisper to him, giving him a smile. I then turn and greet the boy to my left, "Hey, Max. What you got there?" I ask as I see him absorbed in a book.

"Oh, hey, Clary," he greets back. He holds up the book to show me the cover, "I'm reading a Naruto manga. It's so cool, but I've only got the first three. Mom and Dad haven't gotten the chance to buy me the rest."

"Oh, I love Naruto! I've got all of them. I could lend them to you, if you'd like," I offer.

Max's eyes brighten as a grin starts to grow on his face, "Are you serious!? Oh my gosh, thanks, Clary!" He leans over and hugs me quickly.

I return the hug, "No problem, kiddo."

Suddenly I hear the maître d' return, two additions behind him. "Mom! Dad!" Isabelle exclaims, getting up to greet her parents. Everyone follows her lead, giving them quick hugs and hellos. I decide to wait, being the last one to greet them.

Maryse quickly spots me once she steps back from her hug with Jon. "Clary!" She greets me before pulling me into a hug. "How are you? Do you like the house so far? The kids are being nice, right?" She questions as she pulls out of the hug, but keeps me at arm's length.

"Yes, Maryse. Don't worry, everything's fine," I quickly assure her with a laugh. "How are you?"

"Great. It's good to be with my family again," Maryse responds affectionately, looking over my shoulder at the guys and Isabelle at the table. We then take our seats and continue with conversation as we wait for our food.

* * *

Everyone had finished their dinner and were getting ready to leave, putting on their coats and gathering their stuff. I couldn't help but notice that all throughout the night, Jace hadn't given me even the smallest glance. He'd been sat directly across from me, but hadn't lifted his gaze to me once. I decided to brush it off though, assuming he was just uncomfortable talking to me with the others around. It was such a newfound friendship that it was still a bit touchy, so I understood.

I rode with Jonathon, Si and Isabelle back to the house. We were quick to notice that we'd been the first back, not seeing any of the other cars in the driveway. We made our way inside, Isabelle and I heading straight to our rooms. As soon as I got to my room, I removed my heels and jewelry, setting them in the closet. I quickly shed myself of my coat and dress, putting them in my closet as well. I slip on a pair of spanks and a hoodie before making my way to my en suite. There, I wash my face clean of my make-up before heading back downstairs to the others.

Walking into the living room, I see Simon and Jonathon talking on the couch. They look up at me as I approach them. "Hey Clare," they greet together.

"Hey guys," I respond, dropping ungracefully into the space between them on the couch. They laugh as I send them a grin. "Where's Izzy?"

"Probably still upstairs changing," Simon answers.

"Ah, of course. I should've known she'd take forever just to change into regular clothes," I laugh. I turn towards Simon as I suddenly remember something, "That reminds me, what's going on between you and Isabelle?" I wink at him, nudging him playfully.

Simon begins to turn red with embarrassment, causing Jon and I to laugh. "Nothing," he mumbles quietly. "Now stop laughing!"

"Aw, Simon, don't be like that," Jon says as once our laughter dies down. "We're just really happy that you're finally getting some." Laughter bubbles from us again, as Simon begins to grumble in annoyance. I bury my face in Jonathon's shirt to try to stifle my laughter, but it seems futile as we continue to laugh uncontrollably at Simon's expense.

Just then, a voice breaks through our laughter, "What's going on in here?" I hear a familiar voice ask. Removing my face from where it had been buried in Jon's shirt, I turn to face the figure at the entryway of the room.

Jace is stood leaning against the doorway, glare fixed upon his face. Confused, I look to see where it is aimed at, only for my gaze to land upon Jon, an equally confused look on his face. _Why is Jace looking at Jon that way? _Jon looks down at me as I silently ask him if he knows what's up with Jace, to which he gives a shrug in response.

"Nothing. We were just teasing Simon," I answer him, ruffling Simon's hair playfully. I turn to face him again, "Did you guys just get back?"

He gives a nod, then turns to leave. I get up to follow him, sending a wave towards Jon and Si as I go. Looking around, I quickly spot Jace making his way up the stairs.

"Jace!" I call out to him, but he either doesn't hear me or chooses to ignore me as he continues on his way. I quickly run up the stairs to catch up to him. I finally catch him at the top of the stairs and pull his sleeve to grab his attention. "Hey, didn't you hear me call you?"

He roughly pulls his sleeve from my grasp and turns to face me. "I did hear you. Didn't you see that I was trying to ignore you?" He says, callously.

"But why?" I ask in confusion.

"Because you're fucking annoying," Jace sneers. "Now leave me the fuck alone." With that, he turns on his heels, continuing his way towards his room.

I stand in the hall, dumbfounded. _What the hell just happened?_

* * *

**A/N:**

**OH MY GOSH. I AM SO INCREDIBLY SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT! I know, it's been nearly two weeks, but life has been pretty hectic. Once again, school and work have been taking up my time. Worst excuse, but it's the truth! On top of that, I've been suffering a bit from writer's block, but I've managed to work around it to give you guys this! As an apology, I tried to make this chapter a bit longer than usual. 3000 words exact for this chapter!**

**So, I've got English this semester and I absolutely HATE it. I've never disliked English, but I do this year and it sucks. I ALWAYS enjoy my English class, but my teacher this year is terrible. She's new, but it's... ugh. I don't even want to go to class. Plus, we have a project due tomorrow to which we had to write a short story. I'm not even close to being done. The short story is also a big reason as to why I haven't updated recently. Sorry again!**

**I went to the doctors for the first time in forever yesterday! The doctor kept hinting that I should come back and stuff. But why should I have to go to the doctors if there's nothing wrong with me, right? Right. Anyways, I have this bump on my ear from my cartilage piercing, so I went to get it checked out. They said it was something called a keloid. He asked me if I wanted to keep it or get it removed, to which I obviously asked to get it removed. Now I need to see a plastic surgeon to get it removed. I'm kinda scared, but the appointment isn't until April, so I've got a bit of time.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter! PLEASE let me know what you think! I see that lots of people are reading the story, but I don't get much feedback, which makes me think that it isn't good enough to get a review. So it'd be greatly appreciated if you left a review letting me know that you like the story or something like that, just to let me know that I'm doing alright. Even just a 'hello' is welcome! Thanks to those that have reviewed and continue to review! Also, thanks to those who are following/favouriting! It'd be great to hear from you guys too!**

**Thanks again!**

**- MC**

**PS. ****Forgot to let yall know about the outfit urls. They'll be on my profile if you wanna check them out!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but the plot.**

* * *

Clary POV

_I stand in the hall, dumbfounded._What the hell just happened?

"Thanks for the ride," I whisper to Jonathon as we hug. I step back and wave quickly before I head towards the school with Isabelle as he reluctantly heads towards his friends. Since it was my first day, Jon wanted to go to the office with me to get my schedule and show me around, but Isabelle had insisted that she'd do it since we were in the same grade. After much persuasion from Isabelle, Jon had agreed, although reluctantly. I was still quite amazed at how quickly Jonathon and I had fallen into the sibling roles. It was cute how he was so protective of me, but it could get annoying at times.

We made our way into the school, Isabelle beside me, pointing out random places as we pass them. We walk down the hall towards the office, opening the door once we've reached it. We make our way to the front desk where a woman sat, typing away at the computer in front of her. Mrs. Reider was labelled on the plaque that was placed on the desk.

Isabelle clears her throat to grab her attention. "Hello, how may I help you?" she asks as she turns her gaze to us, a smile on her face.

"Hi, my name's Clary Fray. I'm a new student this year and I was told that the office would have my schedule," I explain.

Mrs. Reider opens a cabinet to her left, sifting through numerous folders before finding what she was looking for, "A-ha! Here it is," she says as she opens the file. She flips through a few pages before removing a paper and handing it to me, "Here is your schedule. If you have any questions or anything, just come back and we'll help you. Was there anything else you needed?" she asks. We shake our heads in response, "Alright then. Have a good first day!"

I send her a smile, "Thanks."

Isabelle grabs my schedule from me as soon as we leave the office, scanning through my classes. I wince as Isabelle squeals, "We have first and second together!" she exclaims. I was quite glad that I'd know at least one person in my morning classes. I was a bit intimidated by all the unfamiliar faces surrounding me. Isabelle scans my schedule once more before handing it back to me, "Some of the guys should be in your third and fourth period since your taking advanced classes," she informs me.

I nod, relief flooding through me now that I didn't have to worry about being alone in my other classes. "Thank God."

Isabelle lets out a laugh, glancing at her phone. Her eyes widen and she quickly grabs my wrist, pulling me down the hall. "Come on, Clary! We're gonna be late for class!" Isabelle shouts, as we run towards our first period.

* * *

It was now lunch. The morning passed by uneventfully. I had chemistry first period and gym second. We didn't do anything except introductions since it's the first day of school, which I was grateful for. I don't think I'd be able to handle homework on the first day even if I was pretty smart.

"So Clary, how's your first day been so far?" Sebastian asked politely. Isabelle and I had found a table as soon as we entered the cafeteria, where we were joined by Simon, Seb, Alec and Magnus. I was quite surprised when they'd all taken a seat since I didn't think we'd all be eating together, but I wasn't complaining. It was comforting to be with familiar faces instead of the strangers I'd seen throughout the morning.

"It's fine. My teachers seem pretty nice and I haven't gotten homework, so it's a pretty good start," I say. Sebastian nods before going back to his lunch.

"Hey guys!" I hear a familiar voice greet behind me. I turn around to see Jon with who I assumed to be his girlfriend, Madeline, before they take a seat to my right. "How you doing, Clare-bear?" Jon asks, his arm around my shoulders.

"I'm good, Jonny," I say with a grin, causing him to scowl. I wasn't too fond of the nickname Jonathon decided to give me, so in retort, I'd come up with a nickname for him that he didn't like very much. I hear laughter next to Jon and turn my gaze to the girl sat beside him. "Hey," I greet her, "You must be Madeline. I'm Clary," I introduce myself. "It's nice to finally meet you."

She smiles, sending me a wave. "It's nice to meet you too. Jon was just telling me about you earlier. He was grumbling about 'hormonal teenage boys' and that they needed to 'stop looking at Clary' the whole morning. It was kinda cute."

I giggle. Throughout the day, I'd caught the eye of a few of the male students at St. Xavier's, which I guess Jon had noticed. I could sense their gazes as they checked me out when I'd pass them in the hall. It was a bit unnerving, but I passed it off and pretended not to notice. Plus, it was kind of flattering.

Just then, a Hispanic boy approaches Isabelle and sends her a bright smile. "Hey, Isabelle. I just wanted to let you know that it worked, though it did take almost the whole summer. Thanks by the way. I owe you one," he says quickly, planting a kiss on her cheek. I see Simon send him a glare from the corner of my eye as I continue to watch their interaction.

"It was no problem, Raph. I'm just glad that you and Camille are finally together," Isabelle replies. _Ah, so this is the infamous Raphael. Huh, he doesn't seem like the player type._ Raphael hugs Isabelle quickly before sending her a smile and walking across the cafeteria to a blonde girl. She was quite pretty from what I could see. I was assuming she was the Camille they'd been talking about. I watch as Raphael kisses her on the lips before turning my attention back to the table, engaging in their conversation.

* * *

The school bell rings, signalling the end of the day. "I've decided to let you guys enjoy this break so I won't be assigning any homework," my chemistry teacher, Ms. Thompson informed us. "I hope you all have a wonderful holiday. Class dismissed," she smiles.

I rush out of class as soon as she's done, wanting to get out of here as soon as possible. After four months of waiting, winter break was finally here and I couldn't be more thankful. School was getting to become too much and I was stressing hard. St. Xavier's is harder than my old school, I can tell you that. It also didn't help that I was taking advanced classes. Luckily for me though, all of my teachers had decided not to give us homework, leaving me stress-free for the next two weeks.

I quickly spot Isabelle at her locker and make my way towards her. "Hey, you ready to go?" She asks me, closing her locker just as I reach her.

"Yeah. Let's get out of here," I grab her arm and drag her towards the front doors, ready to leave this place, not wanting to spend another second here.

* * *

I follow Isabelle through the front door, finally home from school. I immediately hear voices coming from the living and see that Isabelle does too as she turns around to look at me in curiosity. We come to an unspoken agreement to go check it out and head in the direction of the living room. "-think she'll agree with it?" I hear a surprisingly familiar voice ask.

"I'm sure she'll be ecstatic, Lucian. Don't worry about it," I hear Maryse reply to the person, comfortingly.

We enter the living room and I take in the scene. Maryse is sitting on the couch beside a familiar hunched figure, rubbing soothing circles in comfort on their back. "Luke?" I gasp.

The man looks up, confirming my suspicions. "Clary!" Luke exclaims, getting up and making his way towards me, engulfing me in his arms in a big hug. I breathe in his familiar scent, overwhelmed.

Luke steps out of the hug a few minutes later, keeping me at arm's length. He looks me over, probably looking for any changes since the last time he'd seen me which was well over six months ago. Once Luke has fully looked me over, he brings me into another hug. "God, I've missed you!"

"I missed you too, Luke," I mumble into his shoulder. I finally pull away, although reluctantly, and voice my curiosity. "Not that I'm complaining or anything, but what are you doing here?"

Luke subtly starts to fidget, hesitating on his response. "Well, you see, I would've come to see you earlier, but I was trying to find your mom since she kinda..." Luke drifts off, but I understand what he means. "Anyways, I decided to take a little break since it's the holidays and everything. And-" he hesitates.

"And what?" I question.

"Well... I was kinda hoping you'd like to spend the holidays with me. Like old times, you know?" He finally answers, "But it's okay if you don't. I was just thinking it'd be nice to spend some time together, even though your mom's not in the picture anymore. Its fine if you don't want to though. It was just a suggestion. You know what? Forget I even said anyth-"

"Luke!" I cut him off. "I'd love to spend the holidays with you." I smile and begin to giggle when relief washes over him, as if he'd thought I'd say no.

"Great!" Luke exclaims. "It feels good to get that off my chest. So let me know when you want to go. We can head out in a few days or even tonight, if you'd like. It's up to you."

"Tonight would be great," I agree. "I'll go pack some stuff now," I excuse myself and make my way to my room.

* * *

"You still remember where everything is, right? Or did you need me to show you around?" Luke questions as he sets my stuff down by the door. After I finished packing a bag, Luke and I set off to his farm house, which was only a two hour drive from the Lightwood's mansion. The farm house was pretty much my second home, since I'd spent most of my childhood coming here with mom and Luke when Dad was out of town for work. I even had my own room.

"It's only been a few months, Luke. I'm sure I can find my way around. Thanks though," I pick up my bag and head to my room. Opening the door, I take in the sight. Although I'd spent the majority of my childhood here, I hadn't been here since Dad died, which was quite some time ago. Things still looked the same from my light blue walls, to my pencil crayons scrawled across my desk in the corner.

I set my bag on my bed and unzip it, beginning to put some clothes away. A knock sounds at the door and I turn around to face Luke. "I'm starting on dinner now. It should be done in about a half hour. I'll let you know, okay?"

I nod and send him a small smile. "Alright. Thanks, Luke."

* * *

It'd been a week since I'd come to Luke's place when he'd dropped the bomb on me. We were eating dinner, spaghetti and meatballs, just enjoying each other's company when he'd cleared his throat to grab my attention. I looked up, raising my eyebrows in curiosity. "Clary, there's something I'd like to ask you."

I set down my utensils, wiping my mouth quickly before sending him a nod to continue. "I know you were only planning to stay with me over the holidays, but I've thought about it and we're practically family," he starts off. "I guess what I'm trying to say - or rather ask - is if you'd like to come stay with me?"

"Like permanently?" I question and he nods in reply. I mull it over in my head. _Like he said, we are practically family. But then the Lightwoods have been really great. What should I do?_ Finally I answer with, "Can I get back to you on that?"

"Yes, of course. Take as long as you need," he responds in understanding, turning back and continuing to eat. I follow soon after and we finish dinner in silence.

* * *

"So how was your break?" Isabelle questioned, sitting down on my bed. It was now the last day of the break and I'd just gotten back from Luke's. I was really glad I'd agreed to spend the holidays with him. It was just like old times and it reminded me of the times before Dad passed when we'd all gather at Luke's to celebrate Christmas, sitting by the fireplace and drinking hot coco.

"It was great. I really missed spending time with Luke," I answer, dumping my dirty clothes from my bag and tossing them in my hamper. "How was yours?"

"It was the same as always. The guys were all fighting over the food and bragging about their gifts. You get used to it." Isabelle tells me, earning a laugh from me. "So back to Luke. How come he only came to see you a couple weeks ago? I didn't get the chance to ask you before you left."

I sigh and take a seat beside Isabelle on my bed. "He was looking for my mom, but decided to take a break to spend the holidays with me," I tell her. "He also asked me if I wanted to come live with him. Permanently." I add. _Might as well tell her everything now rather than later._

She responds automatically, "Did you say yes?"

"I asked him for some time to think. I'm not sure if I want to," I sigh again. "I mean, I love Luke. He practically became my father figure when my Dad passed away, but I'm gonna miss it here. I've gotten used to staying here and I feel like this is my home; where I belong," I answer truthfully.

"So what do you want to do?" Isabelle asks.

"I honestly have no clue, but I think I want to stay."

"Well, I'll support you with whatever you decide," Isabelle declares. I send her a thankful smile and reach over to pull her into a hug.

* * *

I rush out of my room, late for school, only to bump into something - or more like, some_one. _I open my mouth to apologize, only to snap it shut as soon as I hear a familiar voice.

"Watch where you're going, Fire-Crotch," Jace snaps.

I take a step back in offense, but I quickly recover. "Take that back, asshat," I demanded.

"No," he says simply.

"I said, take that back!" I yell frustrated, anger bubbling within me. I was sure steam was coming out of my ears by now.

"Or what? Gonna go cry to mommy and daddy? Oh wait, you don't have any," Jace sneers.

My anger reaches its peak and I take a step towards him, getting in his face. "You did not just go there."

"Oh, but I did."

I cry out in frustration and anger. "Are you fucking serious? I told you all that stuff in confidence, not for you to fucking throw it back in my face." I scream at him. "Oh my gosh. I'm so fucking done with your mood swings. First, you're a fucking asshole, then we go on that walk and we talk, making me think we're somewhat friends. But then you go and brush me off all of a sudden and now you're using my personal problems against me? Are you fucking kidding me?!"

Jace just stand there, looking totally unaffected.

My voice lowers as I begin to calm down. "You know what? I wasn't planning on taking Luke up on his offer, but after this, I think I will. I can't deal with this stupid hot and cold act you've got going on anymore, Jace." I whisper, all the anger leaving me, replaced with exhaustion from the whole situation.

"What do you mean 'offer'?" Jace questions and I swear I could see panic in his eyes, but it's gone a second later that I begin to think I'd imagined it.

"Luke. He asked me to come stay with him, permanently. I wasn't going to, but I just don't think I can deal with this whole fucked up relationship we have, if you can even call it that. It just adds on more unwanted stress and I don't think I can handle that," I explain. "So I'm done. You win, Jace. I'm going to 'leave you the fuck alone', just like you wanted."

With that, I brush past him and make my way down the stairs, leaving Jace to look after me, just as he'd done to me the last conversation we'd had.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Hey guys! It's almost 1 am here, but I really wanted to get this chapter posted for you guys. Some things are starting to happen with Clary what with Luke coming back and offering for her to stay with him. AND another Jace and Clary argument, but this one might've just sent her over the edge and made her decide to move out to live with Luke. Yikes.**

**I don't know if you guys remember, but I posted about a short story I had to write for English. I don't remember if it was the last chapter or the one before, but that doesn't matter. So as I was saying, I wrote the short story and I actually posted it on FanFiction, so if yall wanna check it out and let me know what you think, it'd be greatly appreciated. I wasn't too interested in the story, but I gave it a go, so whatever.**

**So, I've finally got a vague idea of where I want this story to go, which is good, but I'm not quite sure about what should happen in between and such. I'm free to listen to some ideas/suggestions, so don't be shy! I'd love to hear where you want this story to go.**

**To get this chapter done and posted, I decided not to study for my bio quiz that I have tomorrow, so I hope yall enjoy this chapter, 'cause I worked real hard on it.**

**Thanks for the favs/follows/reviews! I actually got 7 reviews for my last chapter! That's amazing. Think we can go for 10 reviews for this one?**

**- MC**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

**Jace POV**

_"Luke. He asked me to come stay with him, permanently. I wasn't going to, but I just don't think I can deal with this whole fucked up relationship we have, if you can even call it that. It just adds on more unwanted stress and I don't think I can handle that," I explain. "So I'm done. You win, Jace. I'm going to 'leave you the fuck alone', just like you wanted."_

_With that, I brush past him and make my way down the stairs, leaving Jace to look after me, just as he'd done to me the last conversation we'd had._

I stay rooted to the same spot, shocked by Clary's revelation. Fear and panic begin to creep up on me, settling in the pit of my stomach. I didn't realize that Luke had offered her to stay with him, let alone that she was actually considering it.

_Technically, she said she wasn't planning to until you decided to be your jackass self and screw it all up, _my conscience reminds me.

I didn't mean to be so rude. It was sort of a defense mechanism. Letting people in wasn't really my forte and the fact that I'd gotten so close to Clary that one night scared me to death. I felt so at ease when we were talking, like it was something that I wouldn't think twice about doing. She'd only been at the house for a month - a month which we'd barely spoken - and I was acting as if we'd known each other for our whole lives. It was unheard of when it came to Jace Herondale-Lightwood, so of course I brushed her off, acting as if our little 'moment' hadn't happened.

What a mistake that was.

Not only was she pissed off at me, but she was leaving. Leaving the mansion, leaving Maryse and Robert, leaving the guys and Isabelle, leaving _me._

I didn't mean for things to go this far. Gosh, my plan only consisted of me ignoring her, not screaming in her face and acting like the biggest asshole in the world.

I had to talk to her. I had to apologize and convince her to stay. I _had_ to.

Stepping into my room, I grab my things before rushing down the stairs and out the door, heading to school.

* * *

**Clary POV**

I slam my tray on the table with a grumble, plopping down in my seat disgracefully.

"Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed!" Simon points out, playfully. I send him a death glare, not bothering to reply to his comment.

I stab at my salad violently, imagining it to be Jace's face. _If only._

I feel the bench vibrate as someone takes a seat next to me. "Who peed in your cereal this morning?" I hear a familiar voice ask.

"I'm not in the mood, Jonathon. Leave me alone." I mumble, not bothering to look up.

"Uh-oh," Jon gasped, mockingly. "Don't tell me - someone cut you in line! Or wait - was it Jordan and Simon? Did you finally find out that they broke into your candy stash and ate all your chocolate? Or maybe it wa-"

"Jon!" I cut him off, biting my lip to keep myself from smiling. "Shut up. No, someone didn't cut me in line. And no, I didn't find out that Simon and Jordan ate my choco- wait! Jordan and Simon ate all my chocolate?!" I exclaim, pouting and turn around to face the two boys in question.

"Jon!" Si and Jordan shout at the same time before facing me, both with equally apologetic looks on their faces.

"Hey, Clary..." Simon says sheepishly. I cross my arms and narrow my eyes at them, hoping I looked somewhat intimidating. Simon clears his throat nervously, "Uh... We're sorry?" He finally squeaks.

I keep the same expression on my face for a bit longer, keeping them on edge. I sigh. "Fine. I forgive you guys..." They cheer, high-fiving each other. "But - you guys have to buy me more chocolate to make up for the ones you ate."

"But-" They begin, but stop when I send them a look. "Fine."

"Good," I smile, pleased with myself. "And make sure it doesn't happen again," I warn them.

* * *

"Spill," Isabelle instantly urged me once I put my stuff down on my desk. As soon as we arrived home from school, Isabelle had followed me into the house and up to my room. She spent the day pestering me about my sour mood earlier, knowing me well enough to know that something was up. I refused to tell her at school though and told her as soon as we got home. I was actually quite surprised that she waited until we were up in my room. I was fully expecting her to ask as soon as we stepped foot in the house.

I let out a sigh. "It's nothing, really. Just Jace being Jace."

Isabelle raises an eyebrow, not satisfied with my explanation - or lack thereof. We engage in a stare-off, though I turn my gaze away first, suddenly tired from not only the events of the day, but of the past few months. I bring my gaze back to Isabelle and I see her expression soften, noticing the look on my face.

"Hey, you look exhausted. How about I let you catch some sleep and you can come find me once you wake up?" Isabelle suggests, tenderly. I nod gratefully and make my way to my bed, pushing back the covers and settling in. Isabelle turns back to face me just as she reaches the door. "Don't think this doesn't mean you're off the hook. If you don't find me when you wake up, I'm coming to you," Isabelle warns. "So don't run off."

"Wouldn't think of it," I whisper just as the darkness takes me over and I fall into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

"-and that's why I've decided to leave. I don't want to have to deal with all of this anymore. Plus, I think I should probably help out Luke with his search for my mom even if she doesn't deserve my concern." I finish my explanation to Isabelle. True to my word, I'd come to look for her as soon as I woke, not wanting to deal with an angry Isabelle. I didn't really care anyways, since I had to tell her eventually. Might as well get it over with it as soon as possible. "I think it'll be in everyone's best interest if I move in with Luke."

"Oh, Clary," Isabelle sighs. "You know I don't want you to go and the guys probably won't either, but if that's what you want, I'll stick by my promise and support you."

I send her a smile in thanks as we settle into a comfortable silence. Isabelle breaks it a few minutes later.

"Have you told mom and dad? Luke? Do you know when you're leaving? What about school?" Isabelle fires question after question at me.

"No, I've only told you since I just decided earlier," I answer her first question. "And I'll probably leave at the end of the semester, which is in a month, so I don't miss any exams and such. I'll probably start attending my old school once I move in with Luke, since he lives in the city."

"I'm sure Maia will be happy about that," Isabelle points out.

I look down, playing with my fingers. "Yeah, probably," I say, distractedly.

* * *

_Beep, beep, beep. _I reach my hand out for my alarm clock. When my hands finally reach it, I slam my hand down on it, effectively cutting off the noise and settle back into my warm sheets. I was reluctant to get out of bed, not wanting to deal with the day's events.

I'd had my last exam yesterday, meaning it was the end of the semester and my last day with the Lightwoods.

It was difficult to tell everyone about my decision, although Maryse and Robert were very understanding. The guys took it pretty hard, especially Jon, Simon and surprisingly, Sebastian, who'd helped me pack the few things I had and became a close friend.

Our friendship came to be quite a surprise, considering Sebastian and I had never really talked or hung out much since I'd moved in. That didn't mean I didn't like it though, since Seb was actually really nice once you got to know him well enough and turned out to be quite the comedian too, cracking jokes to lighten the mood. He was fairly high-up in the looks department too, with his dark hair and eyes, and muscular build. To be honest, if the opportunity presented itself, I would probably date him. Sebastian is actually really cute, now that I think about it and-

A knock on my door disrupts me from my thoughts. "Clary? You awake?" _Speak of the devil. _I thought wryly, just as the door opens and Sebastian pokes his head inside. "Hey," he steps inside fully when he sees me awake. "You should probably get up and dressed soon. You do remember what today is, right?"

"Of course I do, Seb," I yawn, sitting up in bed and stretching my arms up above my head. "How could I forget when I've had you reminding me every day since I told you?" I ask, rhetorically.

Sebastian sends me an innocent smile, which I scoff at. "Whatever. You know you love me." I roll my eyes and get out of bed, "I was serious about before though. You really should start getting ready. Luke should be here in about an hour."

"Okay, okay." I wave my hand dismissively at him, as I head towards my en suite. "I should be done by then, don't worry."

* * *

I approach Maryse and Robert, both with sad smiles on their faces, and pull them into a big hug. "I'm gonna miss you guys," I whisper before pulling out of the hug. "I really appreciate you guys letting me stay here."

"Don't worry about, Hun," Maryse waves off my gratitude. "And I have no doubt that Luke is capable to take care of you, but if you ever feel the need, you're always welcome to come back, whether it be a visit or to stay. Remember that."

I pull her into one last hug, "Thanks again, Maryse. You too, Robert." I say, pulling him into another hug as well. I step back and move onto the next person, Max.

I crouch down a bit to even out our heights. "I'm gonna miss you, Clary," Max mumbles shyly.

"Aw, I'm gonna miss you too, bud," I say, tugging him into an embrace. "Now, I know you haven't finished reading all the mangas I lent you, so I was thinking I'd leave them with you to look after. How does that sound? Think you can do that for me?"

Max nods his head seriously. "Of course I can, Clary. You can count on me."

I ruffle his hair affectionately. "Thanks Max. I appreciate it." I send him a small smile, which he returns. I make to move onto the person when said person jerks me into a hug.

"I'm gonna miss you so much, Clary!" Isabelle wails. I smile softly, touched that my departure was causing such a reaction from her.

"Aw, Iz, I'm gonna miss you too!" I assure her. "But don't worry; we can visit each other whenever we want. It's not too far of a drive. Plus, we can text and call each other throughout the day, it'll be like I never left."

"But it won't be the same!" Isabelle protests.

"I know, Hun. But that's how it's got to be for now." I sigh. "But maybe someday, you'll move to the city or something and we can move into an apartment and live together. That'll be fun, right?"

"You promise?" Isabelle whispers.

"Yeah. Maybe even Simon can move in with us too."

"Okay," Isabelle sniffles. "I guess that's something to look forward too." She finally steps back, allowing me to move onto Simon.

"Simon, my dearest gamer friend, this may sound crazy, but I think I might miss you," I stage-whisper to him, playfully.

"Oh, shut up. Get over here, Fray," Simon says before pulling me into a hug. I bury my face in his shirt, inhaling his familiar scent.

"I'm serious though, Si. I'm gonna miss you. A lot," I whisper quietly so only he can hear.

Simon chuckles softly. "I'm gonna miss you too, Fray. Take care of yourself, yeah?"

I nod. "Yeah, you too. And look out for Isabelle for me, would you?" Simon nods, although a bit confused. "Oh, and before I forget, you better have asked her out by the next time we see each other." His face is now one of utter confusion. "Don't give me that look! I know you're totally in love with her and she with you." I whisper, making sure that nobody else can hear our conversation. A blush starts to form on his face and he looks over towards Isabelle, smiling softly.

"Yeah, okay." I grin and peck him on the cheek, walking over to say my goodbyes to Sebastian.

Seb instantly pulls me into a hug, lifting me up off my feet before putting me back down. I laugh and his laughter joins in. "You better come back, Clare, or else I might just suffer from some condition from missing you so much."

"Oh, stop being so dramatic," I smack his chest, causing him to laugh.

"Admit it, you're going to miss me," he says, arrogantly.

I sigh, mockingly, as if admitting to missing him was a difficult task. "Fine, I'm going to miss you, Sebastian."

He sends me a grin. "See. Now, was that so hard?"

"It was actually."

Sebastian sends me a glare. "Ugh. I give up." I walk away, laughing to myself.

Looking back at the house, I see a lone figure on the porch, leaning on the railings. I look back quickly to see that everyone is busy, before turning back and making my way towards him. I come to a stop next to him, imitating his position. "Hey," I whisper after a few minutes of silence.

**Jace POV**

"Hey," I hear her whisper. I look at her out of the corner of my eye, talking her in. Her fiery hair was in a messy side braid, thrown over her left shoulder. She was wearing a plain white tank top with a plaid long-sleeve button up on top, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows and buttons undone. She paired it off with light-wash shorts and a pair of worn out black chucks. _Effortlessly beautiful, _I think to myself.

I turn my gaze back to look over the front yard. "You excited?" I ask her.

She lets out a sigh before answering, "Yeah. It'll be nice to be back in the city again. I'm gonna miss it here though."

I'm tempted to tell her that she doesn't have to go. That she can change her mind and stay with us, stay with _me. _But I decide not to because I don't want to start another argument on the matter. We'd already fought about it when I finally had the guts to apologize to her.

_I walk up to her room, knocking on the door. "Come in," I hear a soft voice say. I turn the knob and open the door, walking into the room. I see her sitting on the bed, staring intently at the screen of her laptop. She turns her gaze up, her expression quickly darkening once she notices that it's me who'd disrupted her. "Oh, it's you. What do you want now?" She asks coldly._

_ I put my hands up in a sign of surrender. "I come in peace," I joke, which I found was the wrong thing to do after the look she gave me. "Actually, I came to apologize," I admit._

_ She raises her eyebrows in doubt. "Really?"_

_ "Yeah. I was a real dick to you the other day. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just, things have been pretty-" I cut myself off. "Look, that night we talked, it scared me. I've never been the type to open up so quickly and the fact that I did so with you, it freaked me out. I felt like we'd known each other all our lives, not like we'd just met," I confess. "I've known Alec and Isabelle all my life, but it took me years before I opened up to them. But with you, it was automatic. I was just so confused and I know it's not an excuse but..." I trail off, hoping my explanation was enough._

_ Silence surrounds us as I wait for her to say something, anything. Finally she responds with an, "Okay. I forgive you. But Jace, you could've said something. You didn't have to go all Jerky McJerkyton on me."_

_ I bite my lip to stifle my laughter. "Jerky McJerkyton__?"_

_"Oh, shut up," she laughs, punching my arm. I let out my laugh then, happy that I'd gotten the chance to make things right._

I was surprised with how fast she'd forgiven me. If I was her, I would've made myself work for it, but I guess I should be thankful that she didn't.

I was still disappointed that my apology hadn't been enough to change her mind. I mean, my being a jerk caused her to decide to leave, so why didn't my apology help to change her mind? I just don't understand.

I'm brought out of my thoughts from a voice shouting across the yard. "Clary, it's time to go!" I hear Jonathon's familiar voice call before jumping into the car with Jordan. Jonathon insisted on going, claiming that he should help Clary settle in since he was her 'brother'. Jordan was tagging along so he could visit Maia. I was happy for him, that he'd found someone to make him content. He deserved it, they both did.

Clary lets out a sigh. "I guess that's my cue." She turns to face me, planting a chaste kiss on my cheek before heading towards the stairs. "Bye, Jace."

I'm stunned for a second before I'm quickly brought back to reality. "Clary, wait!" I shout, jogging to catch up to her. I reach her just before she descends the stairs and tug on her arm, bringing her into my arms in an embrace. I sigh, content. "I'm gonna miss you, Clary," I whisper, my face buried in her hair and hers in my chest. We stay like that for a while, as I savour the feeling of her in my arms. I finally pull away, though reluctantly. "Bye, Clary." I slip a piece of paper into her hand, "Call me. Don't be a stranger." She nods quickly, a small, sad smile on her face. I press my lips to her forehead before letting her go. "See ya," I whisper after her.

She turns around to look at me one last time as she reaches the bottom of the steps. "Later," she smiles before turning around and making her way to the car.

Luke pats her on the shoulder before she jumps into the car, him doing the same. I hear the roar of the car as he starts it, and watch as they drive away until they're no longer in my sight.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Yay! I've finally updated! Sorry for the wait. I've been sick for the past week and school has been a b**** as usual. Oh, and the weather's bipolar-ness is kind of a downer too.**

**So Clary has decided to leave and Jace doesn't want her to, so he apologizes, hoping it'll change her mind, which it doesn't. :( Now Jace and everyone else is sad. Sucks. I also put some parts in Jace's POV to change things up. Let me know what you guys think about that.**

**Considering how busy school and work have been, I think this'll be my updating schedule; once a week, probably on the Tuesday or Wednesday. Sorry if that's too long of a wait, but I just can't find the time to write chapters with how things are going. Though, Spring Break is coming up in two weeks, so I'll be able to update more then, hopefully.**

**I went to Disney On Ice last Friday with my mom and sisters. It was amazing! I don't know if you guys know/have it where you guys all live, but it's this Disney themed ice skating thing where they sing and such while skating. It's really cool. You could probably find videos of it online. But yeah, I haven't been since I was much younger and it was surprisingly fun. Me and my older sister were probably more into it than my little sister who is six while I'm sixteen and my older sister is twenty-two. Quite funny.**

**I also went to see Oz on Sunday. It was great! I hadn't seen any previews before watching the movie, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I didn't have to worry though, since it was pretty funny and cute. You should all see it if you haven't already. I also finally got around to watching Miley Cyrus' straight-to-dvd-movie, So Undercover. It's super funny and interesting! I suggest you see this movie as well if you haven't already.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter! Just wanna remind you guys again that I'm always open to ideas, so PM me or let me know in a review. Which reminds me, thanks for those who reviewed last chapter! I got 9 reviews which was oh-so-close to the 10 I was hoping for, so I'm actually quite proud! Thanks for the favs/follows as usual!**

**Review?**

**- MC**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

CLARY POV

"Put that over ther- Or wait! No, put it there in that corner!" The boys set down my bed, wiping their foreheads of sweat. "There, that looks good, right guys?" I ask, looking towards them.

"Yes, Clare. It looks great," Jonathon says, exasperated as he and Jordan plant themselves on my bed, tiredly. We - or should I say they? - had spent the last few hours rearranging my room. Since I'd had this room at Luke's since I was seven, I thought it was time to change it up a bit, and what better time than the present, no? "Everything looks great."

"Yeah, what he said," Jordan mumbled, lying back on my bed with his eyes closed. I guess I may have worked them too hard. Thinking back to the last couple hours, I realized that I had been pretty picky and bossy. I'd continuously asked them to move around my throughout the whole room until I was perfectly satisfied that it looked good. And while doing this, I hadn't lifted a thing, leaving the boys to do the work for me.

"Okay, I guess it'll have to do - for now," I say. "How about I make some cookies and lemonade for you guys for doing this for me?"

I was answered with grumbles in agreement. I quickly plant a kiss on their cheeks and leave my room, heading downstairs to the kitchen.

Entering the room, I see Luke rummaging through the fridge. "Hey, Luke."

Luke lifts his head from inside the fridge, sending me a smile. "Hey, Clare. You guys done with your room?"

"Yeah. The guys did a great job," I compliment. "I'm making them cookies now as a 'thank you'. They're exhausted."

"Well, you've been working them for the past few hours, Clary. It would make sense that they'd be tired."

"Yeah, yeah," I wave my hand dismissively. "Anyways, do you have chocolate chips?"

"Think so. They should be in the cupboard to your left." Luke directs me, closing the fridge door. "Need help with anything else?"

I shake my head after thinking it over quickly. "No, I should be good. Thanks, Luke." I send him a grateful grin.

He messes my hair playfully, earning a glare in reply. "No problem, kiddo. Let me know if you need anything else."

"Will do," I call to Luke's retreating figure before rushing around the kitchen to gather the needed ingredients.

* * *

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

I reach my hand out blindly, trying to turn off the offending item waking me from my sleep. I slam my hand down once I find the item causing it to fall onto the floor, effectively cutting off the noise.

I snuggle back in the bed with a contented sigh, hoping to fall back asleep.

"CLARY!" Luke shouts. "Time to get up for school! You don't want to be late on your first day, do you?"

I give a grunt in reply, plopping my pillow on top of my head to block out all the noise. Just as I nearly fall asleep, my pillow and blanket are thrown off me, letting in a cold draft and allowing the sunlight to hit me. I squint my eyes and bring my hand up to cover my eyes from the sunlight before turning to glare at Luke.

He sighs. "Come on, Clary. Get up. Maia should be here in an hour."

After a few minutes, I give in, too tired to be stubborn about it. "Alright. I'm going."

"Good. I'll have breakfast ready once you're done."

I send a wave in acknowledgment as I head to the washroom to take a shower. Entering the washroom, I strip myself of my clothes and step into the shower. Once I finish washing my hair and body, I step out and instantly wrap myself in a towel. Making my way over to the sink, I brush my teeth quickly, then head back into my room to find something to wear.

Reaching into my closet blindly, I grab one of my white summer dresses and a parka to throw on top. I brush my hair out and blow dry it, pinning back my bangs and leaving it in its natural messy curls. Lastly, I grab my black combat boots to finish off my outfit, heading downstairs once I'm done.

I see Luke as soon as I enter the kitchen, his back facing me as he cooks something on the stove. Spotting a plate of eggs, bacon and toast on the dining table, make my way over to it, digging in right away. Swallowing my first bite, I let out a moan of delight. "By the Angel, this is delicious, Luke! When did you learn how to cook?"

Luke lets out a chuckle of amusement, turning off the stove and placing his eggs on a plate before coming to sit across from me at the table. "Well, seeing as I did live by myself, I realised that I couldn't live on take-out for the rest of my life, so I learned how to cook." He explains, taking a bite of his eggs. "I can't make anything too fancy though. A man can only learn so much."

I let out a laugh before getting up to put my plate in the sink. I grab my glass of orange juice from the table and take a drink just as a honk is heard from outside. "Guess that's Maia." I set my glass in the sink as well, then walk over to Luke, placing a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks for breakfast, Luke." I grab my bag and head towards the door. "See you later!" I call over my shoulder as I walk through the front door.

I hurriedly climb into the car, reaching for my seatbelt and buckling up. Once I'm settled, I turn to look at Maia, whose gaze was turned to me, an eyebrow raised.

"Hey," I greeted her enthusiastically, a bright smile on my face.

"Hi?..." Maia responds hesitantly, making it sound more like a question. "You seem to be in a pretty good mood." She looks at me once more before starting up the car and pulling out of the driveway, heading to school.

"Of course!" I exclaim. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"'Cause we're going to school?" Maia points out.

"Yeah, but I get to see the group again! I haven't seen them in forever," I respond. "Wouldn't it only be a given that I'd be excited to see them again?"

Maia contemplates my response before nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I guess you're right. They all miss you too, by the way. They were pretty pissed when I went to visit you and didn't bring them along."

"Oh gosh! I didn't even think about that!" I admit. "I should've invited all of you to come." I sigh. "Oh well, I guess there's no reason to have to visit me anymore since I'm back, right?"

"Mhm," Maia mumbles as we turn into the school parking lot. She kills the engine once we park and grabs her bag from the backseat before turning to face me. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," I answer. We both open our doors and jump out of the car, heading towards the school side-by-side. "Alicante High, here we come!"

* * *

"Okay, class dismissed!" Ms. Biluk, my English teacher, told our class. "Have a good lunch."

I pack my stuff up quickly and head out the door, eager to get to the cafeteria. I hadn't had enough time to talk to my friends before school started since I had to go to the office to grab my schedule and try to locate all of my classes, so I was currently bouncing with excitement at being able to finally reunite with them.

Our group of friends consisted of Will, Jem, Tessa, and of course, Maia and me. Will was the flirt of the group with his charming looks and personality. Though, he was a big softy when it came to Tessa and me. Jem was the more mature one of our group, having dealt with many things in his short life time. Tessa and I have been said to be one in the same, though we don't see it. She was quite stubborn and could be a bit bitchy, but she had a big heart when it came to her loved ones.

We always hung out together. However, Sophie, Jessamine and a few other close friends were known to come hang with us as well. The five of us, though, were the original members, I guess you could say. We grew up with each other, becoming friends all the way back in elementary school. Friendship like that was hard to let go of, especially when it came to us. We were pretty much each other's siblings given how long we'd known one another. Although, Jem, Maia and I have suspected that there were some feelings between Tessa and Will. We didn't want to bring it up though, so as to not cause any trouble. They were old enough to deal with their own feelings.

As I made my way down the hall towards the cafeteria, I received many greetings and nods in acknowledgement from kids I'd gone to school with since elementary and greeting them with small smiles in return.

Finally reaching the cafeteria, I scan the room, looking for my friends. I spot them almost instantly and nearly run over there with my eagerness. One of my guy friends was closest to me, though his back was facing me. Seeing the opportunity, I jump onto his back just as I reach him and hug him around his front. He stumbles a bit before righting himself, chuckling as he does. "I missed you, Will!"

I jump off his back, allowing him to turn around to face me. Will brings me into a proper hug as soon as he does, burying his face in my fiery hair. "I missed you too, Clare." He mumbles. "It's so good to see you." Will releases me a moment later, stepping back and quickly taking in my appearance. I bite my lip as he does and once he finishes, a smile blossoms on his face. "Looking good, Clare," he compliments, sending me a wink.

I grin at him. "Did you expect anything else?" I ask, haughtily.

"Why, of course not," Will responds, smoothly. "I'm just saying that you look pretty fucking hot. Don't chicks dig those sorts of comments?"

I scoff. "Well, not when you put it that way, asshole."

We stare each other down for a moment before his lips begin to tug upwards as mine do the same. Before I know it, we burst into laughter, leaning against each other to keep from falling onto the floor.

Will put an arm around my shoulders once our laughter dies down, hugging me to him again briefly. "I really have missed you, Clare. And you really do look good."

I let out a laugh. "Thanks Will." I stand on my tiptoes and place a brief kiss on his cheek before turning to face the table, Will's arm still around me.

"Hey guys," I give a little wave. It turned out that Sophie and Jessamine had joined us for lunch today. After a moment's pause the girls, save for Maia, all rush up to me, pulling me from Will's grasp and engulfing me in a group hug. We pull away after a few minutes and the girls begin to fire comments and questions my way.

"I missed you so much! We all did!"

"Things weren't the same without you, Clary."

"Oh my gosh, Clary, where'd you get that dress?"

"How was it at your old house?"

"Did you meet anyone?"

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Oh my gosh, what's his name?"

"Is he cute?"

"What does he look li-"

"Okay, okay, okay!" I cut them off. "One at a time, alright?" They nod in response. "Okay, go."

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Tessa asks me, Sophie and Jessamine nodding eagerly, waiting for my response.

"No."

"Have you met anyone? Guys, in particular?"

I nod. "I have. I lived with a bunch of them. Maryse and Robert, my foster parents, had a bunch of other foster kids as well as their own kids; Isabelle, Alec and little Max. The other boys were Sebastian, Jonathon, Simon, Magnus, Jordan - which is Maia's boyfriend, and Jace - the only one that was adopted by Maryse and Robert." I explain. "There's not much else other than that. They're all pretty cool. I'm pretty close friends with all of them, though Isabelle and Simon more so. Jon is more like a brother to me as well as Max. And Jace - well, he's complicated, but we've gotten a bit close." We'd all sat down as I began to answer their questions. I was sitting between Maia and Will across from the three girls. The three of them had thoughtful looks on their faces as they processed everything I told them.

Maia scoffed playfully. "Clary, don't even try to play down that dilemma you have with Jace. As soon as someone walks into a room with you two, you can literally feel the sexual tension in the air. It was ridiculous." She teased me, causing me to blush. "I wouldn't be surprised if you guys jumped each other as soon as I left."

As soon as Maia finishes, everyone at the table turns to me, an eyebrow raised. Automatically, a blush begins to travel to my cheeks. "I-I have no idea what she's talking about," I stammer, looking away to avoid their gazes.

"Oh, come off it, Clary." Maia says, "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. He always looked starry eyed when I caught him looking at you. I'm telling you, it's only a matter of time before you two get together, and when that day comes, I'll be there to tell you 'I told you so'."

I wave my hand dismissively in her direction, my face clear of its pink tinge. "Yeah, yeah. Nothing's going to happen so you don't have to worry about that."

Maia sends me a disbelieving look before deciding it was not worth it to push the topic on me, and changed the subject. "How're Isabelle and Simon? Have they gotten together yet? Jordan didn't tell me much when he was here last week."

"Nothing," I sigh exasperated, glad she'd changed the subject, but frustrated about the new topic. "I mean, it's clear they have feelings for each other, I just don't know why they won't do anything about it. I mean, come on! The feelings were there even before I came to live with them!"

Jem gave a chuckle. "Sounds kind of familiar," he said sending a pointed look towards Tessa and Will, though they were oblivious to it, considering they were currently sending longing gazes at each other when the other wasn't looking. They thought they were subtle and clever when it came to hiding their feelings, but it was quite the opposite.

Sophie elbowed him in warning, though we were all trying to hold in our laughter. It was ridiculous how blind they were. "Stop it, Jem. You know how they get."

"Yes, I think we all do since this has been going on since middle school," Jem said nonchalantly. "It's only a matter of time."

We all nodded in agreement, sending a look at the two subjects of our conversation before turning back to each other and engaging in conversation again.

* * *

"Bye guys!" I waved at them. "I'll see you tomorrow!" After giving everyone a hug in goodbye, Maia and I turned and headed towards her car.

"So how'd you like your first day back?" Maia asked me as soon as we'd entered her car and settled in.

"It was fun," I smile. "It felt good to be back with you guys. You know, reunited and stuff?"

"Yeah," Maia nods, turning her key in the ignition and driving off towards Luke's. After driving in silence for a few minutes, Maia breaks the silence. "So how are you and Jace really?" She asked. "And don't even bother trying to lie to me," she warns just as I open my mouth.

I close my mouth and frown, thinking about how to answer her question. "I guess we're okay now..." I say slowly. "Things got a bit ugly for a bit, but we made up and talked." I give a shrug.

"Hmm..." Maia looks thoughtful for a moment before looking at me from the corner of her eye. "Did you tell him how you feel?"

I start. "How I _feel?_ What are you going on about, Maia?"

"Oh hush," Maia says. "You know exactly what I'm talking about Clary. Don't start up with this again," she says warningly.

I let out a sigh and cross my arms, looking out the window. I watch the scenery as we pass and spot a park with a bench. It instantly reminds me of the night Jace and I had gone out for a walk and ended up at a park, spending hours talking to each other while sitting on a bench. I suddenly feel nostalgic, yearning for the short time I'd had with the Lightwoods - with Jace.

"He's so frustrating," I begin, just as Maia pulls into our driveway. She parks the car and turns to me, patiently waiting for me to continue. "I mean, one minute he's an asshole, the next he's a sweetheart, then he's an asshole again. I don't get it." I sigh exasperated. "I don't want to have these feelings, but I know his asshole attitude isn't the real him. Don't ask me how, but I know." I look at Maia for a second before turning my gaze to look out the window again. "Those moments when he's so sweet, that's when I believe that's his real attitude. I think he closes his real self off, putting up a guard, because of things that have happened to him in his past." I look down at my intertwined hands in my lap. "I want to help him, to get him to trust me." I look up at Maia. "I don't quite think I'm in love with him, but I'm certainly getting there. I don't want to feel this way though, because I have a feeling that once I fall, he won't be there to catch me." A tear falls down my face and I wipe it away hastily. "I wish things were so much easier, but we can't always get what we want, huh?" I let out a humourless laugh and inhale deeply. Gathering my stuff, I reach for the door handle and send Maia a smile. She'd been silent throughout my whole confession and for that, I was grateful. I needed to get everything off my chest. "Thanks for the ride, Maia."

With that, I open the door and walk up the front steps. I felt as if a large weight had been lifted off my shoulders and it felt good.

I take the steps two at a time and head for my room. Opening the door, I freeze in surprise at the person sitting on my bed.

* * *

JACE POV

A knock sounds at my door before I hear Isabelle's voice calling out to me, "Jace?" I continue staring up at the ceiling, not bothering to answer. "Jace! Come on, this is ridiculous! Stop moping around." I continue to ignore her. It was like this every day. Someone would come up to my room, telling me to come out and do something, but I didn't feel like it. Not anymore.

Ever since Clary left, I'd felt this hollowness in my chest. I acted as if I didn't know what it was, what was wrong, but I knew better. I was just in denial.

I didn't want to believe that things had gotten this far - that my feelings had developed to the point that I was almost entirely sure I was in love with her. That's right; _I'm in love with Clary._

Admitting it to myself set off a sense of relief in me, though very little. I'd literally known the girl for a few months and already she was bringing out these _feelings _in me.

It was disconcerting.

Running my hands through my hair, I sit up and reach for my cellphone on my nightstand. Scrolling through the names, I find the one I'm looking for. My thumb hovers over the call button as I hesitate. _Should I?_

Thinking better of it, I close my phone and put it down. I rise from my bed and open my door, leaving my room willingly for the first time in the last week.

* * *

CLARY POV

"Isabelle? Simon? What are you two doing here?" I ask, shocked. I'd literally left a week ago and already they'd come to visit me. As their presence finally registers in my mind, I rush up to them and engulf them in a group hug. "Oh my gosh, I missed you guys!"

They return the hug, squeezing me tightly. "We missed you too."

We pull away from each other after a moment. "I'm assuming Luke let you two in?"

"Yeah," Simon says, patting the spot beside him, telling me to take a seat. "He left right away though. Said he had some errands to do." I nod. "Anyways, how are you?"

"I'm great! It feels amazing to see my friends again and to live with Luke," I answer. "Though I miss you guys a lot. It sucks not having you here with me. I got so used to seeing everyone all the time that I felt a tad bit lost my first few days back."

"Don't worry, we feel the same way. Though I could say some more than others," Isabelle replied.

I send her a look of confusion. "What do you mean?"

Having just realized her slip up, Isabelle becomes speechless, looking for some sort of excuse to feed me. "Oh, um - I - um, what?" She squeaks. I send her a look. "Okay, okay. Well, um, Jace may or may not have been moping around the house since you left..."

Surprised, I gawk at Isabelle for a moment. "_What?_"

Isabelle looks at Simon pleadingly, causing him to sigh. "Jace has been moping around. He barely even comes out of his room, only when we have to go to school or someone forces him out. It's quite shocking, and frankly, weird." Isabelle elbows him, sending him a dark look.

Regaining her composure, Isabelle clears her throat. "Well, I, for one, think it's adorable."

I'm still silent, not knowing what to say. Finally, I utter, "Jace?"

Isabelle groans. "Yes, Jace. What is so hard for you to understand?"

"Um, because it's _Jace_?" I say.

"Well, I guess he's had a change of heart, no?"

"I guess so, but..." I trail off uncertainly. "Why?" I finally ask.

Isabelle and Simon both shrug. "I'm assuming he likes or something. That or he blames himself for you leaving. Maybe even both," Simon says.

A warm, tingly feeling begins to spread through me, but I ignore it. I give a shrug. "Okay, I guess I'll text him or something. See what's up," I say nonchalantly, though I was quite nervous at the idea on the inside.

"Great!" Isabelle squeals. "Maybe then he won't be so depressing."

* * *

I step out of the washroom after brushing my teeth and head into my room in my pajamas. After talking and hanging about with Isabelle and Simon, they'd left, claiming that Maryse wanted them back for dinner. Once I showed the out, I went back up to my room and finished up my homework. Partway through, Luke had come home and immediately started on dinner, calling me down once he was done. This led to now, with me crawling into bed and settling in.

I grabbed my phone from the foot of my bed and scrawled down to Jace's name.

Not quite knowing what to write, I started off simple. _**Hey.**_

A few seconds later, I received a response. _Hey._

_**What's up?**_

_Nothing really. How's it going over there?_

_**Good. I've missed my friends a lot so it was nice seeing them again.**_

_That's good to hear._

I'm uncertain as to what to write next. Somehow, I'd typed out a message without really realizing. _**I miss you.**_

_ I miss you too. It sucks without you here._

_**Can't be too bad. I wasn't there for long, so I don't see how I can be missed too much.**_

_Believe me, you made your mark._

I smile, touched that he felt that way. A second later, I receive another text. _Can I call you?_

_** Sure.**_

My phone begins ringing and I fumble for a bit before I press the accept button, bringing the phone up to my ear. "Hello?"

"_Hey,_" Jace breathes. "_It's good to hear your voice again_."

I bite my lip. "It's good to hear yours too." I lie down in my bed and pull the covers over me, getting comfortable for what I hoped would be a long conversation. "How's everyone? Isabelle and Simon were over earlier, but I forgot to ask."

"_They're all good. They miss you though, especially Max. You got the kid wrapped around your finger,_" he chuckles.

I sigh sadly, remembering the little boy I'd left behind. "I miss him too; send him my love, would you?"

"_Of course._"

We're silent for a bit before I speak again.

"You should come visit some time. It'd be nice to see you again."

Jace is silent for a minute and I fear I've scared him off. "_I'd like that._"

I let out a breath of relief and smile. "Good."

We talk for the rest of the night, only ending our call as I began to drift into consciousness. With a promise of a phone call the next night, I hang up the phone and put it on my nightstand. Snuggling back into my bed, I close my eyes and let sleep take over me, a smile on my face.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I'M BACKKKKKK!**

**I know, it's been forever! I'm sooo sorry! I didn't mean for it to be this long before my next update. Nearly a month! I know I said I'd be able to update more during Spring Break, but life has been a tad bit hectic. I've got no excuse except the usual 'work and school taking up my time' and such. So sorry! BUT, I actually have another reason. I'm having a debut!**

**For those of you who don't know what a debut is, it is a celebration/traditions Filipino's have to celebrate 18th birthdays. It's quite costly and a big event, much like a wedding. Anyways, after talking to my mom and sister about it, we finally decided to give it a go and I've spent the last couple weeks trying to plan everything, like budget and stuff. We're estimating on spending $10 000 on the whole thing. Crazy, I know! I've been picking up some shifts to help pay for the party. I've gotta save up about $3500 for my share, which is quite a lot, but I've got a year and a half, so I should be okay.**

**So Clary's moved in with Luke finally and is starting to attend her new school. She meets up with her friends, which, yes, are all TID characters. I've just started reading the series, finishing the first book today. I really like the characters. Especially Will. *insert dreamy sigh* Clary confesses to Maia about her feelings for Jace as Jace admits his feelings to Clary to himself. The little bit in his POV is just to show how he feels and such. Isabelle and Simon come for a little visit to help push Clary to talk to Jace which she does. And that is how we end the chapter with Jace and Clary talking... So we're one step closer to Clace! WOOT WOOT!**

**I've got chapter 10 in the works right now, so it should be up by this weekend hopefully. I've got a vague idea as to where I want the rest of the story to go. I just need a bit of stuff to put in between, so suggestions are welcome! I'm not quite sure as to how many chapters this story will have, but I'm think about 20 or so. I don't want the story to be too long, plus I don't think I'd have enough ideas for more than 20 chapters.**

**Anyways, I hope yall enjoyed the chapter! As always, thanks to those who reviewed, followed and/or favourited! It's very muchly appreciated!**

**Leave a review?**

**Thanks!**

**-MC**

**PS. The link for Clary's outfit for her first day back at Alicante High will be on my profile, so make sure you check it out!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments or Twilight.**

* * *

CLARY POV

My phone buzzes in my pocket, startling me. I look up quickly to check that the teacher isn't looking before pulling out my phone. _Jace._

_When do you get off school? –J _I read.

I quickly text him back. _**15 minutes left. What's up? -C**_

_You'll see. ;) -J_ I read his message and instantly become confused, though somewhat curious.

Ever since that night a couple weeks back, Jace and I have continued with nightly phone calls and begun texting throughout the day. I don't know what happened, but I wasn't complaining. Jace was actually nice to talk to when he wasn't insulting me or acting all arrogant.

Just then, the bell rang, signalling the end of the day and the start to the weekend. I quickly pack up my things and leave the classroom. I stop by my locker to drop off my things, then head outside the school. Just as I step out the door, my phone vibrates, indicating a new text message.

_Look up. -J_

Confused, I look up, only to spot Jace in all his golden glory, leaning against a motorcycle. I stand there momentarily speechless before breaking into a run towards him. He opens his arms expectantly, and I jump into his arms, hugging him tightly.

We stay in an embrace for a few minutes before I pull away slightly to look up at him, my arms still around him. "Not that I'm complaining, but what the _hell _are you doing here?" I question, a grin on my face.

Jace chuckles, a smirk on his face. "Well, you did invite me to come see you, didn't you?" He points out, as if it should've been obvious.

I punch his arm playfully. "Well, you could've told me!"

"Well, that would defeat the element of surprise, would it not?"

"Oh whatever," I wave my hand dismissively. "So what are we doing?" I ask, excitedly.

"Well, I didn't really plan anything. We could go to the park, or the beach, or-"

"Hey, Clary. Who's this?" Jace gets cut off by a familiar voice. I turn around, stepping out of Jace's embrace, and spot Will approaching us, the rest of the group following close behind.

I smile at them and indicate towards Jace. "Guys, this is Jace. Jace, these are my friends." I gesture to the group. "You know Maia already," I point out as she gives him a wave. "This is Tessa and Jem," I indicate to the two, and turn to put my arm around Will, who was standing next to me. "And this is Will."

I glance back over at Jace and see something flash in his eyes, though it's gone a second later, making me feel as if I'd imagined it. "Hey," he says to them, giving a nod in acknowledgement.

"So what are you guys doing now?" I question them.

"We'll probably just hang at Jem's for a bit," Tessa answers. "What about you?"

I glimpse at Jace with a smile on my face. "I don't know yet. This loser doesn't know what to do."

Jace glares at me playfully. "Hey, you're the one who told me to come visit! You didn't tell me that I had to think of something to do." He points out.

We both laugh, "Well, what were you planning to do? Come here, say hi, then leave?" I ask rhetorically. "Of course we'd have to do something."

"Whatever," Jace grumbles.

"I think we should get going guys," Jem says, glancing at his watch quickly.

"Alright," Tessa answers. "Nice meeting you, Jace. Bye Clary," she sends me a wink.

I feel my cheeks redden as they all laugh. I jab Will in the side as I feel him start to shake with laughter. "Ow," he complains, rubbing his side.

I smile at him innocently. "Well, like Jem said, you guys should go," I say hugging Will quickly before pushing him away. "Bye."

Will glowers at me before turning around and following the others towards Maia's car. "Bye, Red," he calls over his shoulder.

As soon as they drive off, I let out a sigh in relief and turn to face Jace. "Oh my gosh, I thought they'd never leave," I mumble.

Jace laughs. "They seem nice."

I run my hand through my hair, wearily. "Guess you're not the best judge of character, huh?"

"Well, I did decide to hang out with you, so I guess you're right."

I glare at him. "Ha ha, you're so funny." I say sarcastically.

"Thanks," Jace sends me a cheeky grin. "Now here, put this on." He instructs me as he hands me a helmet.

I look at it uncertainly. "You know, I can totally just walk…"

Jace puts on a mock surprised face. "Oh no, don't tell me you're scared."

I feel my stubbornness begin to arise. "Ha, me? Scared?" I grab the helmet and put it on my head. "In your dreams." I climb onto the back of the motorcycle after him and put my arms around him, holding on tightly.

"Ready?" Jace asks and takes off without waiting for an answer, my answering scream trailing behind us.

* * *

"So how're things back home?" I ask Jace as we sit together on a bench, eating our ice cream. After nearly scaring me to death with his driving, we'd come across Central Park and decided to stop and walk around. We spotted an ice cream stand almost as soon as we got there and I'd practically begged Jace to get since he'd refused at first. I think he just found me begging him amusing.

Jace takes a bite of his ice cream, glancing at me from the corner of his eye. "Alright, I guess. Things are the same, except you're not there anymore." He shrugs nonchalantly. "Nothing really."

I nod, finishing off my ice cream. "Simon and Isabelle together yet? I forgot to ask when they were here."

Jace chuckles. "Yeah, it's disgusting. They're all lovey-dovey whenever I see them together. The guy's whipped." He says as he stands up and grabs my empty ice cream cup to throw it out before heading back over to me and offering his hand to help me up. I take it and we begin to walk around.

I nudge him in the side. "Oh hush. I bet you'll be like that when you find the right girl."

Jace laughs, disbelievingly. "Yeah right. The day a girl gets me to act like Simon will be the day my charm doesn't work on a girl; never."

I brush off his arrogant comment. "Oh, believe me, when the day comes, I'll be there to say 'I told you so'. You just wait."

Jace doesn't answer; instead, he just heads over to his motorcycle and throws a leg over, straddling it. "You coming or what?"

I take the helmet from his outstretched hand and climb on, more prepared than I'd been the first time. I wound my arms around his front and grip the front of his shirt, burying my face in his back as I feel him ride off.

* * *

"So what movie do you want to watch?" I ask, scanning through my collection of movies.

"I don't know. Whatever you want." Jace answers from his position on my bed. After an uneventful adventure around the city, we'd decided to come back to my place and just hang out. Luke was working at his bookstore, and wouldn't be back until late, so I'd called to let him know that I had a friend over. He'd told me to grab some money from the jar in the kitchen and order some pizza, so Jace and I decided to choose a movie while we waited for it to get here. "Actually, I have a feeling I'm going to regret saying that." Jace says after a minute.

"You're such a baby," I tease him, still looking for a movie. "It's not like I'm going to make you watch Titanic or something."

"Oh, thank the Angel," Jace sighs in relief. "Izzy made me watch it with her once. She bawled nearly the entire movie. Just when she'd stop, she'd start up again a couple minutes after." Jace shudders in horror. "It was terrible. It didn't help that she was sitting beside me and practically drowned me in all her used tissues."

I giggle at his spiel before finally finding the movie I'd been looking for. "Ah-ha! Found it." I yell, waving it in the air. I skip over to the DVD player and put the movie in before walking over to the bed and making myself comfortable.

"What'd you pick?" He asks curiously.

"You'll see," I wink at him and turn my gaze back to the tv just as the movie started up.

_"I'd never given much thought to how I would die, but dying in the place of someone I love seems like a good way to go."_

Jace lets out a groan as I giggle.

* * *

I woke up the next morning, disoriented. I open my eyes only to close them as the sun momentarily blinds me. Opening them again, I look around and notice I'm in my room. The tv is still on, though the movie that Jace and I had watched was clearly over. Just then, I hear music playing, reminding me of why I'd woken up.

"_Well, you drive me crazy half the time; the other half I'm only trying to let you know that what I feel is true. I'm only me when I'm with y-"_

I reach over to my nightstand for my cellphone. "What do you want?" I demand into the phone, sleepily.

A familiar voice on the other end replies, "Good morning to you too, sunshine."

"Ugh," I groan. "Maia, what are you doing calling me at-" I glance over at my clock quickly, "nine in the morning on a Saturday?"

"Well, the others and I have decided to go out for breakfast together and we were wondering if you wanted to tag along," Maia explains. "You sound like a zombie. What the hell did you get up to last night?"

I sigh, snuggling back into my bed. "Nothing really. Jace and I hung around the city before coming back to my house and watching a movie. We were up pretty late."

"Oh yes, I forgot Jace was here. Did he leave last night or-" Maia cuts off as I squeak in surprise as a strong, muscular arm tightened its hold on me, pulling me back to press into an equally muscular body. I was now wide awake and extremely confused in my new position. Looking over my shoulder, I come face-to-face with a sleeping Jace. I guess we'd fallen asleep on my bed while watching the movie last night, and somehow found ourselves _spooning _in my bed. "Clary?"

"Maia, I'm gonna have to call you back, okay?"

"But, Clar-" I snap my phone shut, cutting her off again.

I try to pull out of Jace's arms, pulling at his arms, to no avail. Sighing, I decide to just wake him. "Jace," I whisper. He doesn't respond, only cuddling into my back. _"Jace," _I whisper-shout.

Nothing.

"JACE!" I finally scream, which seems to do the trick. He jumps out of bed in surprise and ends up falling off the bed since he'd gotten tangled up in the blankets. And, surprise surprise; guess who joined him on the floor? Me, of course.

"Umph," I exhale, landing on top of Jace. "Ouch." I rub my arm, which had hit the side of my nightstand as I'd fallen off.

"You know, as much as I love this position, which believe me, I do," Jace pushes his pelvic to my stomach to show just how much he 'loved' our position. "It's a bit uncomfortable."

With a deep flush, I jump off him, running over to the other side of the room as he stands up.

"Well, that was a nice way to wake up," he says jokingly, rubbing at his head that had probably hit the ground when he'd fell.

I bite my lip, nervously, looking over at him. "Are you okay?" I ask meekly.

"Yeah, just a little bump. I'll be fine." Finally noticing how far I was from him, Jace walks over and stops in front of me. "How about you? Are you okay?" He asks a bit worriedly, looking me over for any injuries.

I send him a small smile. "I'm fine."

We stand there in awkward silence for a few minutes, just staring at each other before bursting into laughter. We quiet down a couple minutes after, catching our breath. "So why the hell did you decide to scare the shit out of me while I was sleeping?" Jace questions.

"Well, I needed to get out of bed, but your arm was around me and you wouldn't let go," I inform him, wondering what kind of reaction he'd have to the knowledge of having cuddled me in bed.

Instead of being even a tad bit embarrassed, he sends me his signature smirk. "Well, it's not every day I get the opportunity of sleeping in a bed with a pretty lady like you," he says charmingly, giving me a wink.

I shove him away playfully and walk over to pick up my comforter up off the floor to avoid him from seeing my face, which was sure to be nearly the colour of my hair. "Shut up, Jace. You're such a loser."

I didn't notice as Jace approached me until his arms were around me, hugging me from behind. "Don't believe me, Clare?" He whispers in my ear, causing a shiver to run down my spine. I shake my head no. "Well then, we're going to have to do something about that, huh?" Before I can say anything, Jace has me turned around, facing him and his lips on mine. I stand stock-still and wide-eyed in surprise at first before I let myself relax, closing my eyes and melting into the kiss.

I move my hands up Jace's arms until they're around his neck, grab a fistful of his hair, tugging on it softly, eliciting a mixture of a moan and growl from him. Jace pulls me in closer and I smile into the kiss. We continue for another minute or so before pulling away, gasping for air.

Once I catch my breath, I look up at him from under my lashes, my bottom lip between my teeth, causing Jace to groan in frustration. "Oh, by the Angel, you'll be the death of me if you keep doing that," he says as he reaches over removes my lip from between my teeth and leans down to press a chaste kiss to my lips. "Mmm," he hums in pleasure, looking at me with hooded eyes.

"That was…" I pause to look for the right word. "nice." I settle for.

"Nice? Really? That's all you thought? That it was _nice?_" Jace says incredulously.

I nod. "Yeap," I say popping the 'p'. let out a giggle before stepping out of his embrace. "I've got to get ready. Feel free to do whatever." I say patting his cheek before walking out the door and across the hall into the bathroom before he can say anything, leaving him standing there, speechless.

* * *

I rush into the diner, pulling Jace along behind me. Looking around, I spot my group of friends in the back corner, sitting in a booth. "Come on," I tell Jace, heading over to them. I scoot into the booth beside Will, tugging on mine and Jace's intertwined hands for him to sit beside me. Once we're both seated, I look up at my friends. "Hey guys," I wave at them.

"Hey, Clary," Maia greets back, an eyebrow raised and looking pointedly at our intertwined hands. "Hey, Jace." The others greet us as well before turning back to their respective conversation they'd been having before our arrival.

I feel a nudge in my side and turn to look over at Will. "What?" I whisper questioningly, so as not to attract attention to our conversation.

"What's up with that?" He asks, whispering as well, gesturing to mine and Jace's intertwined hands.

"Nothing," I blush, a light pink, and give him a nonchalant shrug. "Am I not allowed to hold hands with people anymore?" I ask, regaining my composure.

"Well, it's understandable to do so when one is dating someone, but as far as I know, you two aren't dating," he says pointedly.

I glance at Jace talking to Jem who was sitting across the booth from him before turning back to face Will. "He kissed me."

Will's eyes light up in amusement. "Did he?"

"Yeah," I nod, biting my lip. "We haven't labeled it though, so I don't really know what we are…"

Will waves off my concern. "Don't worry about it. Labels make things much more difficult. Just enjoy it," he advises me.

Our waitress comes then to take our orders, ending our conversation.

* * *

It's been two weeks since the weekend Jace came to visit and I can honestly say that I've never been happier. I took Will's advice, deciding not to badger Jace about 'what we were' and have just enjoyed my time being with him and talk to him. I mean, there are times when I think it over, wondering why he hasn't just asked me, but really, labels _weren't _that important. It was just that the fact that we didn't have a label gave me a few doubts about where exactly our 'relationship' stood and how serious he was about it.

Was I just another one of his flavours-of-the-month? Or did he actually have feelings for me and want to be with me?

I didn't know, but I sure wish I did.

Immediately after Jace had left to go home at the end of the weekend, I'd called up Isabelle to tell her of the events of the weekend, detail for detail, knowing that she'd kill me if I did anything less. She'd instantly suggested that I return the favour and come surprise Jace with a visit. I was pretty iffy about it at first, but after much coaxing from Isabelle, I agreed to go. We agreed that I'd leave today, a Friday since we had an in-service today, and surprise him at his school. I was quite nervous, though I was excited as well.

I was currently on my way there, driving Luke's old truck. I was wearing a pair of white shorts and a lace, flowy, black tank top with a denim vest on top. I finished off my outfit with a pair of black keds. It was super hot out, so I didn't want to wear too much layers.

Pulling into the St. Xavier's parking lot, I find a parking spot and turn off the truck. I take out my phone and quickly text Isabelle to let her know that I'm here. I open the door and step out of the truck, putting my phone in my back pocket before heading towards the school, where I spot Izzy waiting for me.

"Clary!" Isabelle squeals, running up to me and engulfing me in a hug. "Oh my gosh, I've missed you!"

I return the hug, laughing. "I've missed you too, Iz."

We pull out of the embrace a second later. Isabelle immediately takes in my outfit, nodding in approval. "You look great," she compliments. "Now, let's go." Isabelle grabs my hand and drags me into the school behind her. "Jace has free period right now, so he could be anywhere. How about we check his locker?" Isabelle suggests.

I nod in agreement. "Sounds good."

Isabelle winds her arm through mine, and together, we take off in the direction of Jace's locker. We walk in silence for a bit before I break it.

"So how are you and Simon?" I question Isabelle, glancing at her.

Isabelle lets out a content sigh. "We're great. He's the sweetest guy ever," she beams. "And I know we haven't been together for very long, but I think I'm in love with him," Isabelle whispers, biting her lip softly.

"Aw! That's so cute," I exclaim. "I'm so happy for you guys."

We stop walking as Isabelle pulls me into a tight hug before setting off again. "Thanks Clary. You know, I'm really glad you and Jace are unofficially together. You guys make an adorable couple."

Now it's my turn to bite my lip as I blush lightly. "Thanks. I still don't know how the heck we ended up together, but I'm happy."

"Good. You deserve it."

* * *

JACE POV

"Hey, Jace." I whirl around to face the person who'd spoken to me. Aline. "What are you doing over there all by your lonesome?" She questions, curiously with a note of seduction in her voice.

"Aline," I send her a curt nod. "Nothing, just wandering around. Did you need something?"

Aline makes her way over to me, strutting over in her barely clad body. Draping herself around my arm, she lets out a purr, but it sounds more like a donkey. "How about I keep you some company, hm? We wouldn't want you to be all by yourself."

I try to shrug her off, but she only tightens her grip. Giving an uncomfortable cough, I attempt at a polite declination. "I would love to hang out, but I just remembered that my parents wanted me home right away. I should probably get going." I say, tugging my arm out of her grip successfully, causing her to pout.

She quickly replaces her pout with a seductive grin and begins to trail a finger the length of my arm. "We can hang out after, Jacey." I cringe at the nickname, backing up a few steps, only to have my back hit the lockers behind me.

Aline quickly pounces, seeing her opportunity. I freeze in shock as she crashes her lips to mine, my mind not having processed what was happening due to the sudden unanticipated action.

I hear a gasp behind me and automatically push Aline away from me to look at the source of the noise. Standing there, in all her natural beauty, was Clary, her eyes glassy and a frown upon her face. We locked eyes before she turned around, running back the way she came, but not before I saw a tear slip down her face.

I would've gone after her, had I not been stunned into silence. My gaze stares on Clary's retreating figure until footsteps from my right catch my attention. I turn to look at who is approaching me and see Isabelle. I'd been so shocked by seeing Clary that I hadn't even realized that she'd been accompanied by Isabelle.

"I can't believe you, Jace!" Isabelle screamed at me. "I thought you'd changed. I thought Clary was the person that finally got through to you, but I guess not. You're still the same jerk you were before." She shoots me a look of disgust before turning on her heel and running off in the direction that Clary had gone.

I growl, punching the locker beside me in frustration. I couldn't believe Isabelle, my own sister, would think so low of me. I mean, she didn't even let me explain! Clary had changed me; I was no longer the arrogant and cocky jerk I'd been before she'd come along. I know everyone noticed too, so I wasn't expecting Isabelle to jump to conclusions right away, not giving me the benefit of the doubt.

Landing another kick to a locker, I head in the opposite direction they'd gone and begin my journey home, stomping angrily the whole way there. _If they think so low of me, might as well act like they expect me to._

* * *

I'd been home an hour before I heard the front door slam shut followed by footsteps and hushed voices. _I guess Isabelle's home. _I spent the past hour thinking about what happened. I know now that Isabelle was right to yell at me like that. If I'd seen it from their view, I would've assumed the same thing and thought that I'd made out with Aline by choice - which I would never do, of course. But then again, they shouldn't have thought so low of me. I mean, I haven't done anything recently that would cause them to think I'd do such a thing. I thought Clary was aware of my feelings for her. I know I haven't outright said anything, but that kiss should've told her something, right?

"Ugh," I groan, rubbing my face tiredly. Everything has become so much more complicated since Clary came along. I mean, I'm not complaining; I'm in love with the girl, but things were so much easier when I didn't have to watch everything I did or said in case I did something to piss her off or something. Though the happiness and completeness I feel whenever I'm with her makes up for it. The girl practically drives me mad half the time, but in a good way, if that makes any sen-

Wait a minute.

_I'm in love with her? By the Angel, am I really?_

I toss the idea around in my head, thinking it over and to be completely honest, it made sense. Not to sound like a chick or anything, but I was crazy about her. I loved everything about her; her laugh, her smile, her kindness and wit, everything. And if I loved everything about her, did that not mean that I loved her?

The revelation scares the shit out of me and I grab my pillow from beside me, bringing it to my face and letting out a frustrated scream. I feel better, though not by much, once I remove the pillow from my face.

Getting up from my bed, I decide to head over to Isabelle's room to apologize. I open my door and walk down the hall, stopping in front of a room two doors down from mine. Just as I raise my hand to knock, I hear quiet voices from the other side of the door.

"…wasn't meant to be. I don't know what went wrong. Was it me?" A voice whispers, sadly. I feel regret flood me as I recognize Clary's voice.

"Of course it wasn't you! You're amazing Clary and that boy is going to regret breaking your heart," Isabelle's angry voice floats through the door next.

"Thanks Iz, but it's whatever now," I hear Clary sigh tiredly. "I should probably head out though. Luke's probably waiting and I want to be back before dark."

"Alright, Clare." I hear shuffling on the other side of the door. "Don't stress about it, okay? Things will work out." Before I'm able to return to my room, the door opens as Clary leaves Isabelle's room.

She stops right outside the door as soon as she catches sight of me, clearly not knowing what to do. She seems to recompose herself a second later. "Jace," she sends me a curt nod and goes to step around me.

"Clary, wait!" I catch her wrist lightly as she goes to walk past me. "About earlier with Aline, I want to apolo-"

"No, it's fine Jace." She gives me a small, sad smile. "There's no need to apologize. I mean, it's not like we were going out or anything, right? If you want to kiss another girl, then you should be able to." Clary tells me quietly.

Her little speech had not only shocked me, but hurt me a bit as well. I have no idea how to reply, so I just stand there in silence.

After a minute, Clary clears her throat. "I've got to go," she whispers. "Goodbye Jace." I do nothing to stop her, still hurt, and watch as she walks away from me, only breaking out of my reverie when I hear the front door slam shut, indicating Clary's exit from not only the house, but most probably my life.

* * *

CLARY POV

"Luke, I'm home," I call out once I get home, tossing the keys onto the kitchen counter. I walk over to the fridge to look inside for some food, though I feel far from hungry.

Hearing footsteps behind me signaling Luke's entrance, I lift my head and turn to face him. "Hey."

"Hey kiddo," he greets. "How was the trip?"

I give a nod, pasting a fake smile on my face. "It was good. Did you get up to anything today?" I question, changing the subject.

"Not really. Watched a bit of TV and tried to clean up the house a bit." I look around the kitchen, seeing the dishes stacked high in the sink and random stuffed littered across the dining table before looking pointedly back at him. "I did say 'tried'." Luke grumbles.

I let out a laugh and close the fridge, stepping away. "Well, I guess that earns some points."

Luke laughs. "Yeah. Oh, which reminds me, you got mail. It's on the coffee table in the living room." He informs me. "I'm gonna head up to bed now. Goodnight."

"Night," I reply before heading into the living room to check out the mail. I spot it on the table, just as Luke said and pick it up. I open the envelope and slide the letter out to read it.

_Dear Ms. Fray,_

_ After receiving your application and samples of your art, we are happy to inform you that you have been accepted to attend Idris Academy of Arts on a full scholarship. Unlike your previous schools, the school year begins at the beginning of June, though we encourage you to come two weeks in advance to settle in and learn your way around the school._

The letter continued with information about the school, what to expect and such. I had totally forgotten that I'd sent in an application. It was so long ago, before my mother left, and it'd slipped my mind after the eventful months I'd just had.

_We hope to hear back from you soon and work with you in the upcoming school year._

_Idris Academy_

I fall back onto the couch ungracefully, overwhelmed by the events of the day. First Jace, now this. It was a huge opportunity and I was really excited to go before everything that'd followed my mom's disappearance.

Rising from the couch, I go up to Luke's room and knock on the door. "Come in."

I open the door and see Luke sitting up in bed, the room illuminated by the bedside lamp, his reading glasses on with a book on his lamp. "Hey."

He moves over on the bed, taking his glasses off, and pats the space next to him. I crawl into the bed and make myself comfortable. "What's up, kid?" I go on to explain the letter and about how big of an opportunity it is. "That's great, Clary! Are you going to take it?"

I bite my lip anxiously. "Well, that's the thing. The school's in Europe."

Luke whistles. "That is kinda far."

"'Kinda far'?" I repeat disbelievingly. "It's on the other side of the world, Luke!"

He pinches the bridge of his nose tiredly. "You're right, but if that's what you're worried about, you shouldn't. It's an _amazing_ opportunity and you deserve it, kid. Plus, you've got a full scholarship, not that money would be a problem."

I sigh. "I know, it's just- I mean- I just got here, you know, with you. I don't want to leave already."

"Clary, if that's what's bothering you, I don't mind coming along with you." Luke assures me. "I mean, a vacation is long overdue. We can close down the bookstore for the time being or I can find someone to take over while we're gone. If you really want to go, then we'll go, the both of us."

"Really?" I whisper, a smile threatening to break out across my face.

"Of course, bud."

"Oh my gosh, you're the best Luke!" I exclaim, wrapping my arms around his neck and bringing him in for a tight hug.

Luke laughs, but hugs me back nonetheless before pulling away a bit later. "Now, I think we should both head to bed now and talk more about this tomorrow, alright?"

I nod, a face-eating grin on my face. "Okay, night Luke."

"Goodnight Clare."

* * *

**A/N:**

**HELLO! Guess who's back?!**

**Yes, I know, I suck! I totally wouldn't blame you guys if you wanted to murder me, but if you did, then you wouldn't be able to see what happens in the rest of the story.**

**So I know I told you last chapter that I would update that weekend, but surprise surprise, I didn't. I've decided to stop promising updates that never come. Btw, I got 9 reviews for the last chapter, so thank you for that!**

**I was hoping to write 10 000 words for this chapter, but that would've taken me waaaaaay longer, so I decided that 5500 would be good enough for now.**

**CLACE KISS!**

**So I totally know it wasn't amazing... BUT, I've never been kissed before, so I don't have experience with that stuff so I just based it off of stuff I've read and yeah... Hope it was okay.**

**Jace and Clary's relationship has somewhat... evolved, I guess you could say, only for Jace to go and screw it! Though, it wasn't really his fault, but Clary doesn't know the whole story. Speaking of Clary, she's going to Europe. *cue gasp* Uh-oh, what's Jace going to think about that.**

**Moving on, I've been slacking A LOT in English, so I've gotta catch up on a lot of work, so I apologize in advance for the wait that you'll probably have until the next update.  
**

**As always, thanks for the rewiews, faves and follows! Hope people are still interested in this story even though I'm terrible at updating.**

**Leave a review?**

**-MC**

**PS. The link to Clary's outfit when she goes to visit Jace will be on my profile, so don't forget to check that out!**


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